Complicated
by RedViolinist
Summary: UPDATED from original: In an alternate post-DBZ timeline with altered ages, "Complicated" follows Goten, Bra, Trunks, Marron, Tarble and Pan through the nightmare that is a new race more powerful than any saiyan alive. GXB, TXM/TXP, PxTb
1. Return to Reality

It was a brisk Saturday morning amongst the villages of East District. A young man named Goten was getting his things ready to leave for a morning training session in the woods. His eager niece was bouncing up and down beside him pleading to come along.

"Pan, I kinda wanted to take the morning to do some solo work. We'll go for one round when I get back, okay?"

He smiled warmly at the short, teenaged girl and reached down to pat her on the head. Goten was very tall, like his father and brother. Unfortunately for Pan, she did not receive the tall gene. Referring to her as a shrimp was sure to get a reaction, but Goten tried his best to avoid that.

"Uncle Goten! I hate it when you pat my head like that! I'm not a freaking dog!"

Pan's black eyes flashed angrily before she turned around and stomped out of his bedroom defeated. Goten laughed and continued to pack his bag. Little did his family know, he was sneaking off to see his new girlfriend in the city, whom his mother hated with a burning passion.

His mother's home, where he also lived, was filled with the smell of eggs and bacon on this particular morning. He took a large whiff before silently creaking his window open and hoping out. What a shame, he thought, to leave such a delicious breakfast. Just as his feet hit the ground, a familiar voice came from around the corner.

"Goten! Did I catch you at a bad time?"

Goten turned his head to find his father, Goku, standing with his protégé, Uub.

"Dad? Are…are you back?" Goten asked, dropping his bag in shock.

Goku looked at his look-a-like son apologetically. "Yes, Goten. I'm back for good. No more leaving."

Goku held his arms out for Goten, but he didn't respond.

"I've been…wondering when this day would come. I thought, maybe I would be twenty…thirty…fifty? I had no idea when you'd be back. All I know is that you leave whenever you feel like it and you don't come back until you're good and ready." Goten scoffed.

Goku began to speak, but his frustrated son flew off before he could finish a sentence. He sighed and looked down at Uub, who felt horrible for taking Goten's father from him for several years of training, and apologized for the awkward situation. Like usual, Uub brushed it off with a smile and encouraged Goku to enter the home he'd long forgotten.

Finally, Goku wandered around to the front of the house and began to head for the door. He took a deep breath in and began laughing loudly.

"Wow! I sure have missed the smell of Chichi's cooking! That smells so good!"

He reached for the doorknob, but just as his hand touched the cold metal, the door flew open. His petite wife stood before him in a pink Japanese dress and cooking apron. Shocked, she froze and looked as though she might pass out. Goku began to speak, but she cut him off quickly.

"I didn't know if you were alive or dead! Why on Earth did you leave me for so long?"

She grabbed him and shook him angrily. The yelling continued to get louder as Uub stood embarrassed behind them. Goku simply took the beating.

"I'm so sorry, Ms. Chichi. We just traveled so much and trained every single day. I can't begin to explain how much he has helped me become a better fighter and a better person."

He backed away slightly when she stopped shaking Goku and turned to him.

"Perhaps he should have taught you that you don't just disappear from your wife and family for a few years. I could have had you declared dead, both of you!"

Chichi crossed her arms and sighed. Goku smiled his big, goofy grin and opened his arms wide for her.

"I love you, too, hun."

Chichi melted instantly and flung herself into his muscular arms.

"No more saving the world or training in foreign countries. No more leaving. No more dying." She cried.

Goku held her tightly and whispered, "I'm so sorry. I'll never leave you again. I'm sorry."

Goku looked into Chichi's eyes and caressed her cheek gently. The two burst into a passionate kiss without any regard for other people. Uub realized that the moment had become too private and decided to wander inside and give them a moment of privacy. He entered through the open door and waved.

"Uub! My gosh, how you've grown up!"

Goku's oldest son, Gohan, was seated at the table reading the newspaper. He rose from his seat and happily shook Uub's hand with a pat on the back. Uub hadn't realized how much time had passed. Gohan's hair was no longer wispy with bangs, but straight and gelled back. He wore a business suit and tie, with smaller glasses that aided in making him appear as smart as he actually was.

"Hey, Videl! Come say hello to Uub!" Gohan called towards the back of the house.

"I don't remember there being another area of the house back there. Was it recently added?" Uub asked.

"Yes! We just finished the addition last year. Videl and I would like to move closer to the city, but mom refused to leave the East District area. I think she was just afraid that dad would come home and not know where to find us. I see that won't be an issue now!"

He smiled out the window at his parents, who were still embracing tightly.

"I knew that he would come back. I didn't think it would be this long, but it definitely isn't the first time that he took off like that." Gohan sighed and set down his paper, "Videl!" He called again, more impatiently.

A door opened in the back of the house. Gohan seemed annoyed to sense that it wasn't his wife. Instead, Pan came bounding down the hallway, still flustered by Goten's rejection.

"Mom is busy, dad! Oh! Hello there?"

She froze in front of Uub, who instantly recognized her as the small girl from the martial arts tournament Goku had left with him from. He felt guilty taking so much time with Goku away from her life.

"Pan! So good to see you again. Your grandpa won't even recognize you!"

Her black eyes widened. She darted for the window, tripping over a shoe near the door.

"Oh, my God! It's really him! Daddy!" She swung her head around at Gohan.

"Why don't you go and say hello?" Gohan beamed proudly, "He hasn't seen you since you were nine."

Her face lit up with pure joy. She ran for the front door and blasted out onto the grass.

"I suppose I'll go and say hello, too. I wish Goten were home, but I just saw him leave a minute ago. I don't know how he'll take it…he's never been able to understand dad like I do…"

Uub laughed awkwardly, knowing exactly how Goten reacted. He was sure Gohan would have words with him later.

"Grandpa?" Pan called. She was hesitant, "Grandpa, is that really you?"

Goku looked up from Chichi. He couldn't be more proud of the beautiful young granddaughter that stood before him. He smiled warmly.

"Panny! Come give me a big hug!"

Chichi stood aside and Pan flew forward, blasting Goku backwards into a tree. They all laughed while Gohan ran up to them to help him up.

"Dad…I was beginning to think that we wouldn't see you again. It's been a long time."

Goku stood up and looked at his son empathetically before grabbing him into a tight hug.

"I've missed you, Gohan. More than you'll ever know. I promise."

Gohan gripped onto his father's back and held back tears of joy. Any annoyance he felt towards Goku vanished into thin air. He was relieved to finally have his father home.

As the embrace continued, Gohan's wife, Videl, emerged from the house beaming with happiness.

"Goku! You're back!"

She, too ran towards him and he pulled her in for a hug with Gohan. When she backed away, Gohan could see that her face was puffy and red as though she had been crying.

"What's the matter, Videl? You look upset." Gohan asked his wife lovingly.

"Oh, nothing. It's nothing." Videl quickly dismissed, waving her hand at him.

Pan and Gohan looked at each other with puzzled expressions and shrugged.

"Well guys, I should get going. I'm sure my mother is worried sick. It was great seeing all of you…and thank you, Goku. You are forever my mentor and friend."

Uub's lean build and powerful ki overwhelmed Pan's senses. She'd never felt such strength from a non-saiyan. She felt a little resentful that her grandfather trained him to be so strong, yet she was still stuck on becoming a super saiyan.

"Thanks, Uub. You, my friend, have taught me many great lessons as well. Take care of yourself and your family!" Goku waved as Uub took to the sky and was off.


	2. Family Bonds

Chichi hurriedly whipped up everything that they had in the refrigerator for dinner that night. She figured that Goku was probably hungry after all of those years without her cooking, a thought that made the fact that they are soul mates perfectly clear. The way to Goku's heart was surely through food alone. She truly thought that no one knew how to cook for her Goku but herself.

That night, Pan set the table while Videl sat on the couch. She seemed to be in deep thought, switching hands to lean on every couple of minutes. She stared into space like a life changing event had just occurred. She looked exhausted. Pan noticed and called over to her mother.

"Mom, do you want to help me pick out a nice outfit for dinner?"

Videl rose her head weakly and smiled.

"That's okay, dear. I'm not feeling very well. Surprise me, ok?"

Pan sighed and looked up at Chichi with puppy dog eyes.

"Come on, Pan…I'll help you."

Chichi got the hint that something was up before Pan did. Videl was not the type to withhold help with household chores, so it must have been a very serious thought.

Goku and Gohan sat outside catching up on stories when Goten arrived home in a hurry. He was hesitant to say anything and just stood silently for a moment in the yard. He had always struggled with the fact that his father was both absent for most of his childhood and for his brief adult life.

"Dad…I…are you back for good this time? Like, I can't do this again if you're going to bail on mom. It's just like whiplash. When I think you're back and here, you leave me again. I can't, like, deal with that again."

He crossed his arms and frowned at Goku. Goku knew that this was his fault, but he was never as close to Goten as he was to Gohan and struggled finding words to comfort him. He didn't even know his younger son well enough to predict his response.

"Goten…I'm so sorry. Yes I am back for good. I promise I won't leave you nor this family again. I have so much to tell you…do you think that you can forgive your old man?" He smiled his warmest Goku smile, but Goten was unfazed.

"Sorry, dad. You're going to have to work a lot harder than that to earn back this guy's trust. I couldn't even enjoy my date that I had this morning, by the way. But it's not like you would have even known where I was. You never were there for me when I needed you most as a kid. Always out training…I could have turned out a lot worse, you know. People without dads can turn out to be really rough. You're so lucky that mom loves you so much. I'm sorry. I can't be around you right now."

Goten turned on his heel and flew off into the sky again. Goku's face fell, but he knew that he'd let Goten down for most of his young life. Gohan's mouth hung open in disbelief. He quickly gripped his father's shoulder firmly.

"Dad, I don't know what to say. He'll come around. He's still got so much growing up to do. You know that we are not all angry at you. Goten just has…emotional problems. Half of the time he doesn't even make any sense." Gohan chuckled awkwardly.

Goku sighed and nodded sadly. He had learned a lot about the meaning of family from Uub over the years that they spent together.

"I'll prove it to him, Gohan. And you. I promise."

Quickly satisfied with the weight of the conversation, Gohan hopped up and held out a hand to his father, changing the mood for the better.

"Let's go inside and get some food!"

They stepped inside the house and were instantly bombarded with a very happy Chichi.

"Goku! I've made all of your favorites! I hope that you like everything…" She blushed and looked at the floor.

Goku could tell that she was still quite hurt, but trying to hide it out of excitement for his return.

"Food! How could I dislike any of your wonderful food?"

Goku sat down at the table and tucked a napkin into his tattered shirt. Chichi cringed at the sight of one of her good, fabric napkins touching his dirty shirt. They had all changed for dinner, but she supposed that he needed a good refresher course on manners and decided to go easy on him.

"Goku, please change at least your shirt for dinner. You're pretty gross, to be honest!"

They all laughed as he got up from the table. Goku readily agreed.

Goku walked down the familiar hallway and back to his bedroom. To his surprise, it all looked exactly the same as when he'd left. He walked through the rounded doorway and stepped into the cozy room. The floor creaked beneath his feet, as it always did right at the entrance to the bedroom. His favorite clock still ticked on the bedside table and his favorite bedding still dressed their empty bed. He was touched that it all looked so familiar. Even the smell of Chichi's perfume lingered near their dresser and entranced him in a way he hadn't been in a long while.

"Shirt. Right." Goku reminded himself, getting lost in his memories.

He opened their closet doors and found that all of Chichi's dresses were freshly laundered and hanging next to his outfits. Everything was clean and pressed, just as though he would be wearing them tomorrow. His shoes lined the floor and were completely clean of any mud or dirt. He closed the closet and approached the dresser directly in front of his bed. Avoiding breathing in too deeply, he opened the top drawer, his drawer, and found all of his undergarments and his assorted sweatbands completely folded and cleaned.

"This is so surreal…" He muttered to himself.

He pulled a pair of sweatpants and a tshirt from the drawer below and changed quickly. It felt good to be back in his own clothes, smelling like his wife's laundry soap and the crisp air of the country.

When he closed the drawer, a picture caught his eye. It was a picture of Goten's graduation from high school. Goku missed this event. Next to it was a picture of Gohan and Videl with Pan, who appeared to be graduating from primary school. Another important event that Goku missed. The lost memories tugged at his heart and he sat painfully backwards onto the bed. He held the framed pictures in his hands and realized that he could have easily just disappeared. No one would think that he was ever coming back. No one actually did think that he was coming back this time. His own son despised him, his granddaughter barely knew him, and his friends…well, that was a thought that he couldn't bear to add to his burden at the moment. He had betrayed everyone in favor of a boy who wasn't his family. He loved Uub like a son, but he already had two sons who needed him and he abandoned them. His heart was completely crushed. Tears began to well into his eyes and emotions that Goku thought impossible to feel were trying to surface. He felt like his heart was going to explode inside, like he'd missed every grand opportunity for everyone who was important to his life. The realization was explosive.

"Goku…are you okay?"

He looked up from his tear-stained pictures to find Videl standing in the doorway.

"Videl! Oh…yeah, I'm okay, I'm sorry. I've changed, let's eat!"

He quickly wiped the tears from his eyes and sniffled his pain away, but Videl came forward and placed her arms around his neck. She seemed to feel his pain in a way the others couldn't. Her blue eyes sparkled against her still-puffy cheeks. She seemed to be full of emotion.

"Every day that you were gone, you were missed. We love you like you never left, and Goten will come to understand that you did what you felt was right. Gohan and I, and Chichi, we respect your decisions and Pan is just happy that you're home."

The tears began to flood forward again. Goku couldn't stop himself.

"Videl…but I've missed most of Pan's life so far. I'm a terrible grandfather…when I had such a fantastic one that literally saved my life. I wish that I could have seen the bigger picture back then!"

He reached up and gripped Videl's shoulders tightly. She, too, began to tear up and rested her head onto his.

"But Goku, you will have another chance. I promise you that. Just wait and see."

She rose up from his grasp and held out her hand, blinking away the tears.

"Let's start now, ok?"

Goku smiled weakly at her and nodded. He took her hand and followed her back out into the kitchen.

The feast on the table was massive, just as he remembered Chichi's meals to be. He sat at the table and thanked her for her hard work, something he rarely had done in the past that Uub simply insisted on no matter where they ate. Gohan and Videl sat to his side, with Pan opposite them and Chichi at the other end of the table. They laughed and shared stories well into the night. It seemed that all had been forgiven, at least forgiven on the surface.

The entire day seemed like a blur of happiness to Goku and the family. He went for a long walk with Chichi after lunch, sparred with Pan and Gohan, even had the chance to look at some of Videl and Gohan's academic awards in their newly built home. Goku knew that they were smart, but he never thought that they'd become world renowned scientists and professors at the West City University. He beamed with pride as Gohan explained what each award was for as Pan bounced around at his feet holding his hand tightly. Life was about to become better than Goku could have ever dreamed, or so he thought.


	3. Am I pretty when I cry?

Goten was furious. He couldn't believe that his father thought that he could just come back after six years and be forgiven. His mind was swirling with anger and his speed continued rising. His anger was surfacing like it did in a terrible battle. He instantly transformed to a super saiyan. Although he was only half saiyan, an alien warrior race from the now destroyed planet Vegeta, he still possessed incredible power and had trouble controlling his transformations to a more powerful form when he was angry. He began to grind his teeth and tears started to sting his cheeks with the cold gusts of wind flying across his face. He couldn't even think about the wonderful time that he was supposed to have had with Paris, his new girlfriend. He was so angry when he saw her earlier that they couldn't even go to the rock concert that they'd planned to attend. It was all too much for Goten's fragile emotions.

Just then, his phone rang. He stopped with a sudden jerk in the sky and reached into his pocket, very annoyed.

It was her again, he thought. She just couldn't get the hint that it was over.

"Marron. You've got to stop this. You've got to. I can't keep-what? What happened? Shit, I'll be there soon!" Goten almost dropped his phone as he shoved it back into his pocket.

Recently, Goten had broken things off with his ex-fiancée, Marron. He told everyone that they just didn't click anymore, but Goten's family was pretty sure it was something else. Meanwhile, Marron called him almost daily in an attempt to mend things. Goten couldn't bear to hear her voice. All he wanted was a clean break and she was anything but.

Unfortunately for Goten's healing heart, Marron's father, Krillin, had just suffered a massive heart attack and was inbound to Wukong hospital in West City. Krillin had always been Goku's dearest friend, making it obligatory regardless of Marron for Goten to go to him. Marron's mother, 18, was a close friend of the family as well.

Goten grimaced at the thought of having to call his mother with this news. It was almost as Chichi was not good in a crisis, especially one so serious. Luckily, Goten had been flying so fast and erratically that he was very close to West City already.

When Goten descended on West City and landed harshly in front of the emergency doors to the hospital, he had no idea what to expect. In somewhat of a panic, he ran into the entrance and headed for the lobby, where 18 and Marron sat with their friends Master Roshi and Yamcha. He approached them breathlessly.

"I'm so sorry. East district seems so far away when you're flying. Is he okay?"

Marron sniffled into Yamcha's shirt and hid her face. 18 stood up from her seat. She walked away from the group and headed towards a small hallway with lit up vending machines.

"We don't know much yet. Of course, we got him here in record time…so hopefully he will pull through. The doctors were optimistic, but he's been having issues for a while now and they did have to perform emergency surgery." 18 said quietly as she leaned against the wall and took a deep breath in, "Marron wanted you before she wanted anyone else, you know. What are you doing with her? You were engaged and now you can't even stand to call her and make sure she's okay?"

Goten's mouth fell open and his eyes widened. He'd gotten very close to their family over the five years that he dated Marron, but when they decided to separate he tried his best to distance himself from them and make it clear that he no longer had feelings for her. He had just started a new relationship with Paris and he was really trying to move on.

"18…I'm sorry. It's just how these things go. I'm here now, I'll take her for a walk and try to help ease her mind a bit, but you know that I'm only here because it is an extreme circumstance. Besides…my father came home tonight."

18 gasped and stared for a moment.

"He came back? He's alive? Ha! Did you tell him about Krillin yet?"

She pulled away from the wall and clasped Goten's hands in excitement. Goten looked at his feet and blushed.

"I was so mad that he acted all nonchalant about coming back…I didn't stay. I just left."

18's expression changed instantly. She threw down his hands and scoffed. Her look of disgust was hard for Goten to stomach. She turned quickly and headed back down down the hallway without another word.

Goten put his hands in his pockets and sighed, perhaps it wasn't the best idea to just head out like he did. Whatever the case, he was there for her now, and she did need him more than he felt he needed to hear about his dad's adventures with his adopted son.

Goten took out his cellphone and called his mother reluctantly. She practically screamed his ear off before he even got to tell her what happened, but she assured him that they would all be there as soon as possible. She demanded that Goten just stay put. He sighed at the thought of his mother still giving him orders at 23 years old. Maybe now that his father was home, he would consider moving out. Always a silver lining, he smiled to himself. He returned his phone to his pocket and walked back over to the lobby area. Marron was still crying softly, but Yamcha was standing by the window with 18 and facing away from them. It appeared Master Roshi had fallen asleep. He decided to take Marron for a walk to ease her mind.

"Marron…come with me." He said softly as he approached her seat.

Yamcha turned around and frowned at Goten.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I've been a real jerk lately. Let me help now." Goten snapped, "Besides, why are you even here right now?"

Yamcha looked personally offended.

"For your information, I was visiting Kami house. It just so happens that I was here to help Marron and Master Roshi out when 18 flew Krillin here!" He growled at Goten while he crossed his muscular arms childishly.

Roshi woke from his nap and put his feeble hand on Marron's shoulder.

"Why don't you go? It may be good for you to get up and walk around a bit."

She smiled at the ancient old man and hugged him, "You are the closest thing to a grandfather that I could have. Thanks for being here for us."

He blushed and laughed awkwardly. Goten rolled his eyes and turned away. He had always thought Roshi was just a big pervert, but seeing him so close to Marron made him strangely jealous. What an old kook.

"Shall we?" Marron asked. She held out her hand for help getting up. He pulled her up and bent his arm at the elbow for her to hold.

They walked throughout the hospital and found an area with large windows overlooking the city. There was a walkway going in front of the windows above the rest of the large area below. Doctors were scurrying back and forth and phones were ringing off the hook. People sat in different waiting areas hoping for good news and receiving bad news. It was truly a surreal place to be for Goten, who had hoped for so long that good news would come about his father, yet he completely rejected it when it did.

Marron went over to the windows and leaned against the railing.

"I can't believe that my dad could die here. He helped save the world so many times…he survived when my mother was a raging lunatic killer and even turned her to the good side…I just can't believe that this could be the end."

Goten frowned at the thought.

"Marron, you can't talk like that. He isn't going to die, medicine is so advanced these days. Remember, I was going to go pre-med for a while!"

She rolled her eyes and tilted her head.

"Yep, you were so gung-ho ready to study medicine and then poof! You decided that you would pursue creative writing instead. Where did that get you? Oh right, into the arms of a lovely young editor and out of the grasps of your overbearing fiancée. I mean, I'm only a grade school teacher, what use is that for a gold-digger-"

He slammed his fists down onto the railing, denting it towards the floor. His eyes burned with rage.

"Marron. I did not have to come here tonight. My dad is home. I didn't have to drop everything for you and come here, but I did. I care about you. I may not love you like you love me, but that doesn't mean that I don't care about you and your dad. Stop attacking me when this situation, right here, is not my fault!"

Her eyes burned into his and her anger rose.

"Then just say it, Goten! You left me because I wasn't going to make a lot of money! You want to move out here, to the big city! You couldn't stand that I just wanted to have a family in a modest little house! Just say it!"

Goten's eyes wavered and his facial expression relaxed.

"Fine, Marron. I wanted you to be a little bit more ambitious. You just got so…uninteresting."

Her mouth fell open and a small sigh of sadness escaped. He'd hurt her deeply.

"I'm sorry."

He mouthed the words, but his voice fell short. He wasn't sorry that he'd finally told her the truth. He wasn't sorry that he didn't love her. He shrugged his shoulders and stepped to the side, crossing his arms and looking out the giant window alone. Marron wanted to keep talking, but decided to let it go. She knew that she'd never win an argument with Goten's hard head.

She looked at him in his too-big hoodie and skinny jeans. He was the most attractive man that she'd ever known. His eyes were still enraged, but she knew him, and she knew that he lashed out when she backed him into a corner.

"Well. At least we got some things out in the open. That's okay. I'd rather you yell at me then just ignore me."

She uncrossed her arms and placed her hands on the dented railing. She laughed quietly.

"Way to break the hospital."

Goten's anger broke instantly. He blushed. He couldn't stay mad at her, he never could. He laughed and patted his hand onto the bottom of the bar, causing it to dent back into shape.

"My bad." He said, looking around suspiciously.

He stared down at the blonde bombshell before him in her pink sweater and white skirt. Her blue eyes were red from crying, but still just as beautiful as he remembered them being when he first fell for her. Her wavy hair fell over her shoulders and reminded him of how she always smelled like strawberry shampoo. She seemed to notice the glimmer of lost love in his eyes and started to move closer to him. Goten swallowed hard. He wasn't sure he would ever be able to fully shut this girl out of his life.

"Guys!" Yamcha yellowed, running towards them. "Marron! He's in recovery! We can go see him now!"

With the moment broken, Marron looked at Goten with hope in her eyes.

"Let's go see him! I'm sure he'll be happy to see you, Goten!"

Her smile warmed his heart, but he felt a tug in the opposite direction as well. Why did things with her always have to be so complicated?


	4. Reunited

"Mom, where did Goten go? He should've been home by now." Gohan worriedly checked his watch.

"Oh, dad you worry too much. He'll be back when he's cooled off, I'm sure of it!" Pan said, defending her uncle.

It was obvious at this point to Goku that Gohan had taken over the role of head of the household. He was so fatherly towards Goten, probably because he was basically his father after Cell was defeated. Goku again felt that tug at his heart.

"Why don't you call him?" Pan suggested, "Or wait, I'll call him!"

She happily got out her cell phone.

"Aren't you fourteen? Why on Earth do you already have a cell phone?"

She laughed at him and said, "Oh, grandpa. I'm fifteen, but everyone has a cell phone now! I'm pretty sure that Bra got hers when she was like seven, and she's four years older than me!"

She happily dialed Goten's number while Goku sat with his mouth open. The times had changed since he left.

"I remember advising against giving Gohan a phone when he was about to graduate high school!" Goku laughed, shaking his head.

"We'd rather know where she is and who she's talking to by looking at her bill than allow her to run amuck. She's quite the handful. She takes after her mother at her age!" Videl slapped Gohan's arm playfully but agreed with him nonetheless.

Pan's phone before she hit call. She answered excitedly, announcing that it was Goten, but dropped her phone and picked it back up again from the table.

"What happened to Krillin? Is he dying?"

Her question prompted panic at the table. Chichi grabbed the phone away from Pan.

"Goten! What happened?"

Pan pouted in her chair, but Goku patted her shoulder and mouthed his apologies. She began to scream at the top of her lungs at Goten about how horrible he'd been that day but quickly softened when he explained what happened.

She hung up the phone and sighed.

"Krillin is in the hospital. He had a heart attack and he's in intensive care now. We should go and be there for them. He said Bulma and Vegeta are headed there now, too."

Gohan gasped, "A heart attack? Krillin has been having a lot of health problems. I sure hope that he's okay."

Goku looked puzzled for a moment.

"Have you been in contact with them? We didn't usually hear from them very much."

Chichi pondered his question for a moment but then realized the gravity of the time that Goku missed.

"Your son was going to marry Krillin's daughter, Marron. He called it off about a year or so ago. It was kind of a big shock to all of us, and it's still a sensitive topic. We got very close to Krillin and 18 over that time. They were even going to move out here with us, had the plans for another add on and everything. It was really sad."

Goku stared at Chichi in shock for a moment.

"Well, what happened?"

Gohan sighed, "Dad, I think you need to ask Goten that question. Even we aren't really sure what happened. His new girlfriend is a real city girl and is very rude to us. Maybe you can talk some sense into him."

Videl laughed under her breath. She knew how receptive Goten would be to the father that left him twice giving him relationship advice. Chichi nodded in agreement with Videl's silent comment. Annoyed at the sudden heavy conversations, Pan hopped off of the chair.

"What are we waiting for? We should head out now! West City is quite the fly."

Goku stood at his chair and shook his head.

"No, let's drive. He is safer for the time being, let's just take the time to be smart and safe, too."

Chichi smiled and agreed, but was surprised by Goku's level headed-ness. Someone was trying to earn points.

Outside, Videl threw a purple and white capsule into the front yard that revealed an impressive family vehicle. She hopped inside and started the engine. Across the side, the plane displayed the large capsule corporation logo on the side. Goku wondered if this meant that it was a gift. Little did he know that both Gohan and Videl had acquired advanced degrees in engineering. Videl currently held a position in upper management for Capsule Corp, making any money issues for the Son family a thing of the past.

"Hop in you guys, it's ready to go!"

She waved them inside. Chichi sat up front with Videl and just as soon as the boys fastened their seat belts opposite of Pan, the plane took off at high speed. Goku laughed at the amount of power.

"Is this a super plane? I've never been in a vehicle this fast before! Even Bulma's!"

Videl smiled proudly.

"You know, Dad, I work for Bulma now. We have the best that Capsule Corp has to offer. That's why Pan has such a nice phone, too."

Pan smiled and waved her phone at Goku, who took it and began pressing its screen angrily.

"How do you turn it on? Nothing is happening!"

Pan laughed at Goku and took the phone back from him.

"Look Grandpa, we can play this game!"

Goku and Pan remained entertained for the whole ride, which took only an hour at such a high speed. Videl and Gohan needed a fast way between districts since they both worked in the city.

They pulled in front of the hospital and exited quickly. Videl returned the super-plane-car to its capsule and followed them inside. They could see Marron and Yamcha seated next to the window inside, so they ran quickly to her.

"Marron!" Chichi called sympathetically, "Come her, sweet girl!"

She hugged Marron tightly, who cried into her shoulder. She had forgotten how much she wanted Marron to be her daughter-in-law.

"How's your mom? Is she doing okay?"

Marron pulled away from Chichi slightly and shook her head yes before collapsing again onto Chichi's shoulder. Goku watched his wife and thought about what a caring and strong woman he married. It was incredible that she didn't just move on and forget him.

"Goku!" Yamcha stood up from his chair with Roshi and stared for a moment. "You're actually here?"

A smiled crept across Yamcha's face as he continued be to frozen in place. Master Roshi waddled over to Goku and smacked him with his cane.

"How dare you keep us in the dark for so long! What is truly the matter with you, boy?"

They laughed and Goku bent down to hug Master Roshi tightly.

Goku walked Roshi back over to his seat and sat down next to him. The seats were relatively comfortable for a hospital, Goku thought to himself. Yamcha plopped down and began to ask Goku all about his journey with Uub. Clearly, Yamcha still considered himself a formidable martial artist. He told Goku of his new studio that he opened for the intensive study of Master Roshi's techniques. Roshi rolled his eyes and agreed that it was all Yamcha's idea. He was so old at this point that he had no interest in having pupils any longer. Gohan piped up, asking about the business aspects of the new place, catching Videl's interest as well.

As the "grown-ups" continued to chatter away, Pan decided it was time to entertain herself.

"Well, this is lame. I'm gonna go walk around."

She said loudly, but no one noticed. She heaved a great sigh and walked towards the hallway opposite the vending machine hallway. She walked through a large, grey doorway and the double, wooden doors opened automatically. She stepped through them and into an area that was as sterile as it was bright. The floor was still the ugly, white and blue tile, but the walls were painted bright white and the chairs were jet black and metal. There was a counter up ahead with two women sitting at computers and a man signing paper work on top of the counter. A blue cart ahead of her looked like a giant tool box with electronic dials on the front to access each individual drawer. A computer screen sat atop it flashing red. Pan felt weirdly cold here, like death was just around the corner. She turned to her right and saw names written on panels placed in clear holders next to each door. She followed them towards a large window at the end of the hall, but stopped when she saw Krillin's name on a door. She stood on her tip-toes and tried to see in the window, but she was too short. She looked to each side and when no one was there, she levitated off of the floor to get a better look.

There he was, laying there helplessly with wires and monitors all around him. She gasped and fell, causing a nurse passing by to notice her and run down the hallway.

"Excuse me, you can't be in the ICU wing! He is not well enough for visitors at this time!"

She placed her hands on Pan's shoulders but Pan shrugged her off.

"I'm sorry! I'll just leave. I got lost."

The nurse gave her a stern look, but softened when she saw Pan look up again at the window.

"Come on sweetie, let's let him rest. Is he your dad?"

Pan picked herself off of the ground and shook her head no.

"He's my friend's dad…I just wanted to check on him. She's too upset to tell me anything and her mom like, totally disappeared."

The nurse sighed and said, "He did suffer from Cardiogenic Shock. About forty or so percent of his left ventricular wall has been compromised. It's safe to say that he will be undergoing a bypass surgery soon, now."

Pan's eyes widened. She held back tears for her friend's dad and decided to start walking. The nurse stood in place, watching as Pan exited the area. This really was not a good night, despite her grandfather's long awaited return.


	5. The Beginning

On the floor above all of the commotion, a partial owner and board member paced the floor. Her heels clicked as she went, and her tight business skirt pulled at her petite form.

Three men sat across from her, watching her tight skirt pull against her muscular and sexy legs. She stopped, looked up, but sighed and returned to pacing. Her blue eyes were as intense as her blue hair, and her anger was apparent and rising.

"How could this have happened? We are supposed to be the best hospital in Japan. I expect better of our staff! This is one of my best friends that we're talking about!"

She stomped her foot at the three men and began barking orders.

"But, Bulma, we can't control what the man's heart does! You are too close to this issue. We have to draw the line-"

His voice cut off as another man entered the room. This man was shorter than Bulma, but had muscles to compensate and then some. His hair was jet black, like his eyes, and his expression was that of an angry bull about to charge.

"I didn't just hear a mere consultant like yourself question my wife, did I?"

He made a fist in one hand that hung next to his body and took another step forward. Bulma turned to him and rolled her eyes.

"I've got this under control, Vegeta. Please, just stand outside. We don't know how to break this news to the family yet and it's very important to me that they don't just stumble upon us. They don't even know that we're here yet."

He scoffed and exited the room quickly, still staring at the three men with his demon-like eyes. A fourth man to the far right of the table kicked back his chair and placed his expensive shoes onto the side of the conference table.

"Mother, you're overreacting. We have been through worse, you just need to tell them already. Krillin is a strong guy, and I think he'll pull through. We're sitting in a room with the three most renowned cardiothoracic surgeons in Japan!"

"Trunks! No one asked you. Get me some coffee or something! I can't handle this stress today." Bulma snapped at him.

Trunks blushed and pouted. He knew that there was no conceivable thing to calm his mother down in high stress situations.

When they finally emerged from the conference room, Vegeta took Bulma's hand and headed for the elevator. Trunks snuck past them and decided to head out for a meal. He hadn't eaten since the early morning, before his large meeting with a Capsule Corp investor and another meeting with his own board of advisors. He loved being the CEO, but he hated all of the work that came with it sometimes. His head was full of fuzzy thoughts as he opened the door to the stairway and stepped inside. He headed down the stairs at a quick pace, still stuck inside his head. Just before he hit the second flight of stairs down, he tripped and went flying forward.

"Ow!"

He heard a voice call out to him before he hit the ground at the very bottom.

"Ow? Ow!"

Trunks said, rubbing his head and then moving to check his knee.

"Do you not look in front of you when you're on the stairs?"

Pan rubbed her head, which looked to be have been what he tripped over. Trunks sat up and realized that he knew the girl.

"Pan? My God, you're old!"

She smiled.

"Thank you! I'll take that as a compliment."

She blushed as his deep, blue eyes burned into her soul. She'd forgotten how mind-blowingly attractive the Brief son was.

"Trunks…it's been a few years."

She looked at the floor.

"How old are you now? Fifteen?" Trunks smiled as he rose from the floor and held out a hand to her.

"Yes. How about you? Twenty…four?"

He laughed and blushed, "Yeah, I know. I'm getting really old."

Pan couldn't speak as she took his hand and felt electricity surge through her body.

"I don't think you're old."

He smiled and opened the door to the lobby hallway for her.

"Come on, want to get some food with me?"

She happily agreed and ran into the hallway.

Trunks and Pan approached the gang, who greeted him warmly.

"Goku! Long time, no see!" Trunks said with enthusiasm.

Goku stood to shake his hand and smiled. Marron was seated on the window sill near the floor and was watching the rain hit the ground outside. Trunks frowned.

"Aw, man. When did it start raining?"

Chichi rolled her eyes.

"No time for small talk! Where is your mother? We called her hours ago and she's still not here! We want an update!"

Trunks shrugged convincingly. Bulma was always slow to make her appearance at any event, unless she was the host. He peered back over at Marron and felt guilty. Goten was nowhere to be found, of course. He was such a horrible boyfriend to her. Though the three of them used to hang out, it had been a really long time.

"Marron, come eat with us. You should have some food."

Trunks happily held out a hand to her, but her face was morose and drenched in tears. He leaned down to her and smiled.

"You've got to eat something. Come on, I'll take good care of you!"

She sniffled and blushed, before taking his hand. He yanked her up to her feet and began walking to the door.

"Pan, you coming?"

Pan nodded and began skipping towards him, but Videl stopped her.

"Oh, no you don't. You're staying right here with us until this storm passes."

Trunks called out, "Sorry, kid!" and turned to continue walking.

Pan angrily sat on the floor and pouted.


	6. Control Yourself

Trunks and Marron walked through the automatic entrance doors and onto the streets of West City.

"Where would you like to eat?" Trunks asked Marron thoughtfully as he opened a large umbrella above them, "I know several really nice places, but you can choose anywhere."

She blushed and shrugged awkwardly, "Uh, I really like the fancy place with the purple lights inside?"

Trunks smiled. This was a very expensive restaurant, but he could pretty much afford any place that she could possible dream of.

"Yeah, let me call a friend there and make some quick reservations. It's no problem for a guy like me."

Marron was no stranger to being pampered. Her mother was always looking for new ways to make money, but her father had been working hard and making good money for the past few years. They frequently made the trip up to West City for a good meal and some shopping. She was excited to be going to this particular place, however. Her father hated the atmosphere and Goten was always too cheap to take her anywhere nice. As she lost herself in thought, she stopped looking ahead and tripped on an uneven piece of sidewalk. She flew forward and fell on her face.

"Oh, my God! Are you okay, Marron?"

Trunks hurriedly helped her up and brushed some mud off of her arm.

"Now I'm a mess."

She said shakily while rubbing her nose. Trunks smiled at her again and blushed. He was holding onto her arms and looking right into her eyes. He'd never realized how beautiful she actually was. What was Goten thinking? Her eyes were a soft yet brilliant blue and her hair was a sparkling, platinum-blonde…she was the dream girl every guy imagined.

She began to blush as well and that dreadful awkward silence filled the air between them. Trunks began to feel differently towards her in that moment. A jolt of electricity flew back and forth between them and their eyes became filled with stars as they stared at each other. He wondered if she remembered that night a few years ago. It was only for a second, but he hadn't forgotten how powerful it was.

Just as the silence was turning into something more, it was shattered by Trunks' phone.

"Holy crap, that scared me to death!" Marron exclaimed as Trunks released her arms in search of his phone.

"Hello? Yes. Yeah we're on our way. Table for two. Thanks!"

He hung up and turned back to Marron clumsily, shaking the rain from his purple hair.

"Okay, so we have a private booth at the restaurant. I texted my friend, the owner of the place, and he hooked us up with a sweet deal. You ready to head over?"

Marron looked down at her muddy knees and sighed.

"Well, I mean…I guess. Is this gonna be okay?"

She pointed at her knees and Trunks laughed.

"I have an idea! It's 8:45…this place next door doesn't close til 9!"

She sighed again, "Yeah, but, we'll never make it there on time by walking."

Trunks smirked and grabbed her arm, throwing her into his arms. He pulled her next to his side and jolted into the air. Marron shrieked as he flew through the night sky effortlessly.

"I hate flying!" She said over and over as he continued to laugh at her.

He held her tightly against him and she automatically wrapped her legs around his.

"This is crazy! I haven't flown in a long time! Ahhh!" She buried her head in his shoulder as he began his decent.

"See? Now we're here! That took all of…what…a minute? Easy."

Marron wobbled into the store and realized that this was no ordinary store. This was a very expensive store.

"Oh, you know what, I left my wallet and stuff at home since Yamcha drove me and Master Roshi. I can just run in the restaurant real fast and no one will see!"

She waved her arms around to show that she was perfectly capable, but Trunks rolled his eyes and smiled.

"I've got it! Pick whatever you want!"

She lowered her arms and blushed.

"But…you were already going to buy me food. I don't want to impose…."

Trunks took her arm and lead her into the store without another word. She looked around at all of the walls and saw a purple dress with sequins and a silver lining around the edges. It was strapless, but one side of the front came up slightly higher than the other. It was a bit short, but the place that they were going was pretty nice. She wandered over to the dress and looked up at it, then at Trunks, then back at the dress.

He put his hands on his sides and smirked.

"Excuse me, but that is just too dangerous."

She pointed with one hand pathetically at it and frowned sadly.

"But..but it's…it's so pretty and sparkly. Wait…dangerous?"

She looked extremely disappointed. Her first thought was that he meant she could fall and hurt her knees again because it was short. She was always rather innocent.

"Well, you might just be too damn hot and all the other dudes at the place will be checking you out."

Her mouth fell open. How direct of him! She turned bright red and didn't know what to say. This was more like the Trunks she grew up knowing. He laughed at her reaction and reached up for the hanger.

"I'll get it for you. Go pick out some shoes, and you can grab some jewelry if you want, too. Bra and my mother have taught me that women are never truly satisfied unless it's a full outfit, right?"

Marron blushed again and turned on her heel to go and grab the sparkly, silver heels calling out her name. She grabbed a purple necklace with matching earrings from a rack nearby and ran back over to Trunks.

"I can't believe you're really doing this…but my mother always taught me that if a boy offers to buy you something, you don't argue. Especially on a date…I mean…uh…"

She paused with her arms outstretched to hand him her items. She shut her mouth tightly and stared at him.

He smiled, "A date, huh? I was just assuming that a girl like you wouldn't want to actually date a guy like me, but hey, I am totally cool with calling this a date."

She handed him her things and stood awkwardly as he paid with his high-class credit card. She wondered to herself what it would be like to have a boyfriend that would actually buy her things once in a while instead of just expect her to pay her way if they went out. She watched him for a moment and realized that he was just ever-so-slightly more ripped than Goten. He was more elegant, more manly…really he was more everything in her mind. She felt like drooling over how hot Trunks was, but he was Goten's best friend. His childhood best friend. The three of them grew up together. Would Goten be able to handle this? Would Marron herself be able to handle this? She never thought of him as more than a friend…except for one time years ago.

He handed her the bag and told her to go and change. She went in the back and came out looking like a million bucks with her new "on the town" outfit. Trunks stood back and gasped.

"Wow. You look smokin' hot, Mare. C'mon. Let's get going."

He offered her his arm and she took it happily, feeling the dangerous vibes quite heavily.

When they walked inside of the restaurant next door, the man at the front counter ran up to them and greeted Trunks with a firm handshake. This must be the guy that he talked to earlier, Marron thought.

"You look so lovely, my dear. What a wonderful outfit for a wonderful restaurant! Right this way!"

The man was very chipper and practically waltzed over to a large area of booths separated by tall, black walls in between each table. There was a curtain over the entrance to the booth, so it was clear that these were V.I.P. seating areas. The tables on the floor watched jealously as she walked next to one of the wealthiest eligible bachelors in Japan. It never had occurred to her just how famous the Brief family was until now. She was definitely on the inside of his tight-knit circle.

"Here you are. I hope you have a fantastic evening with this gorgeous girl!"

The man waved and headed back to the front while Trunks opened the curtain and motioned for Marron to walk through. The drapes were a velvet material in purple. The seats seemed to be made of the same material and the lights above gave the table a purple glow. The seat wrapped all the way around the back of the large table, probably enough to seat a party of ten people.

Marron scooted in and stopped approximately in the middle. Trunks came in on the other side, but instead of sitting across from her, he scooted right up next to her. She could feel the heat radiating off of his body as the electricity began to shoot back and forth between them again. She sat there daydreaming for a while.

"So..uh, you wanna order or..something?"

Trunks finally asked, breaking the silence. Marron lunged forward for her menu and blushed.

"Sorry, didn't mean to be rude. I guess I get a lot of my manners from my dad…"

She rolled her eyes and smirked. A random thought popped into her head that she felt, for some reason that she had to share.

"You know, you're kind of exactly like the guy in that really popular American S&amp;M book…"

He laughed loudly.

"I can openly admit to you that I am not that much of a freak."

He said behind his menu, but something told her that he was only half serious. She laughed.

"So, you read those books?"

He blushed and shamefully nodded.

"It's not like when I heard the description of the guy that I didn't think of myself! I didn't know what I was getting into. I kinda like reading, so it worked out."

She leaned in closer with a sly grin.

"But, did you like it? You know, some of the things that they did?"

He stopped reading his menu and set it down on the table.

"Are you asking or are you…suggesting something, gorgeous?"

She continued getting closer to him.

"I was just curious."

He cleared his throat and picked his menu back up as a waiter knocked on the wooden railing outside of the curtain.

"Yes?" Trunks called.

The waiter peeked through the curtain and took their food order quickly.

"Hey, add a Sex on the Beach for my lovely date, here. I'll take a scotch, neat, please."

The waiter nodded and left quickly. Trunks interlaced his fingers and leaned his elbows on the table in front of him. He held his face up with his hands and looked at the blonde girl in front of him with his deep blue eyes. His smirk was growing increasingly more suggestive.

"What?" She asked innocently.

He cleared his throat and sat up, adjusting his elegant suit jacket. He began asking her about her job and what she liked about it. After an hour or so, and three drinks later, they'd finished their dinner and were about ready to head back to the hospital. They'd scooted closer to each other, touching thighs now, and Trunks had his arm resting above Marron's head on the booth's seat.

"So…I guess we should head out. But I'm still curious about your interest in that book."

She smiled flirtatiously. He leaned forward, only a few inches from her face. The scotch smell on his breath drew Marron in like vapor.

"Maybe you'll have to find out for yourself sometime."

"But…I wouldn't know where to begin, sir."

"Oh…I'll tell you where it begins."

He pulled her chin to him and kissed her quickly.

Taken aback, Marron pulled away from Trunks. Her cheeks flushed scarlet and her lips quivered.

"T-trunks…what did you do that for?" Marron could barely catch her breath.

He smiled and tightened his arm around her shoulders.

"Did you not want me to? I mean…you were pretty direct."

His voice was intoxicating. Marron's shock dissipated and her desires began to take hold. She felt a floating aura of heat surround her body and soul, almost as though she could literally float away.

"Maybe…" She answered shyly.

His fingers caressed her shoulder and his scent was that of an expensive cologne. She stared at the top button on his shirt and wondered what it would be like if she undid just one…maybe two…her mind began to trail off when Trunks kissed her again. This time however, Marron kissed him back.

She let herself go to the wild urges that she was feeling and wrapped her arms around his neck. He kissed her more passionately, pulling her closer. She could no longer hear any noise around them, only that of his heavy breathing. Just as the tension seemed to rise even higher, Trunk's phone began to ring. He ignored it, but then it rang again. At the third ring, Marron stopped and looked down.

"Oh, it's Goten! He might be calling about my dad! My phone died earlier before we left!"

She pulled away from Trunks and answered enthusiastically.

"Goten…yeah…yeah, sorry it's kinda loud…no…we'll be there soon…"

She hung up the phone and looked up at Trunks, who appeared a bit annoyed that she answered the phone.

"I'm sorry, I just had to make sure. My mom wants to head to your mom's place for the night…I guess everyone is heading there. Can you drop me off?"

Trunks rolled his eyes and began to get out of his seat without speaking.

"Hey! I'm sorry!"

Marron wasn't sure how to react to his drastic change in demeanor.

"Let's just go. I'll drop you off. It's no problem."

Marron stopped talking and followed Trunks out of the restaurant.


	7. Red Heels

Bulma's bright red heels clicked against the floor as she slowly walked towards them. She paused when she saw Goku and felt even worse about the news she was about to share. Krillin had always talked about Goku's big return. It was a shame he wasn't conscious to see it.

"Bulma!" Goku yelled, hopping up from his seat and rushing forward to hug her. Chichi grumbled slightly.

"Goku…it's…so good to see you. I wish it were under better circumstances, though…"

Bulma hugged Goku tightly. She missed her friend dearly. When she backed away, she cleared her throat and prepared her words carefully.

"As you all know, Trunks and myself are hospital board members. I just left a meeting regarding Krillin's care. It appears he is stable for now, so I'd like to invite you all back to my place for some much needed rest…especially you, 18."

18 smiled at the friendly gesture but respectfully declined.

"I need to be here with my husband. Please take care of Marron tonight, she needs a good night's sleep…I will just stay here in case they need me."

Her face fell at the thought of actually needing to be here for another heart attack or worse. Bulma approached her and hugged her, revealing a little too much of what was under her skirt. Chichi hopped up and stood behind her protectively, causing the others to chuckle. The rest of the gang began to rise from their seats and Videl headed outside to unleash her family plane again.

Goku approached Bulma and asked her how she'd been over the years with a pat on the shoulder, but received a stern look from Vegeta and put his hands up in surrender. Vegeta laughed.

"Kakarot…we really were starting to think that we wouldn't see you again. I thought you'd forgotten about our life long quest to better ourselves as warriors. I know I was training to new heights with the help of Bulma's training capsule…I wonder if you got similar results sparring with a mere child in the forrest?"

Goku shrugged and smiled at Vegeta.

"Honestly, you probably are a bit ahead of me right now. Maybe we should go toe to toe and see!"

Vegeta frowned, but softened when Goku appeared to be serious. They got close to each other's faces and took defensive positions, but Chichi was having none of it.

"Okay, you two. Now is not the time, Goku!"

Chichi pointed her finger at them and began poking Goku towards the door.

"Say, where are Marron and Trunks?"

Bulma asked, looking around the lobby.

"They went out. Without me."

Pan pouted in the corner chair. She was playing a fighting game on her phone and angrily smashing controls. Bulma looked puzzled.

"Is Goten with them?"

Goku laughed, "No, he's mad at me. He took off the second I got home. I feel kinda bad."

Bulma laughed, "Well, you know our boys. They are one in the same. Trunks gets mad and won't come and see me for days."

Chichi sighed, "I wish he would tell me where he's going. I'm sure he's out with one of his girlfriends…really I wish he would just settle down and get married already!"

Videl walked back in to see what was taking everyone so long and heard the commotion. Gohan looked at each her and smiled.

"Remember, Chichi…you called me a hussy when we first met! Maybe he'll bring home a nice girl someday." Videl pointed out.

Chichi blushed. Videl continued, "Or…maybe he won't. At least you have me!"

Chichi rolled her eyes and placed an arm around Videl's waist as they walked outside.

Just then, Goten came from around the corner and hollered for them all to wait.

"Hey! Sorry, I fell asleep on the next floor up. Uh, I heard what you guys were saying, so I called Mare and Trunks is dropping her off at Capsule Corp. She'll be there soon. I'm gonna head out for the night and I'll probably just stay at Trunks's place. See ya."

Goten wasted no time in hurrying away before his mother could object, but Goku ran after him.

"Goten! Can we talk for just a sec?"

Goten kicked off of the ground and flew into the night sky, clearly giving Goku his answer. Gohan jogged up to Goku's side and placed a hand on his shoulder, sighing.

"Dad…let him come to you. Remember, Goten and I are really different. He doesn't really like to talk things out. He'll just start yelling at you if you keep approaching him." Gohan said sympathetically to a clearly upset Goku.

Chichi walked up behind them and held out her hand for Goku. He took it gratefully and kissed the top of her hand.

"Okay guys, see you at the house!" Bulma waved.

Vegeta picked her up and kicked off into the sky. Clearly, he was still not a fan of cars or planes.

When everyone arrived at Capsule Corp, Bulma instantly turned on her hostess charm and invited everyone to a table filled with food from her personal chefs.

"How did you have time to make all of this?"

Goku asked with drool beginning to form.

"Money, Goku. Money. Now dig in!"

Everyone sat at the table happily and began to chit-chat, but Marron stayed by the door.

"What's the matter?" Bulma asked concerned.

"I'm just full…and tired…actually I think I'm totally drained. Where can I stay tonight?"

Bulma motioned for Marron to follow her down the hallway ahead and clicked ahead. Marron followed sadly.

A pink room filled with fluffy pillows and unicorns was open to her left. Marron's mouth fell open.

"You can stay in here! Sorry it's a little girly in here…but it was Bra's room when she was a little girl. Do you remember?"

Marron looked around the room at the walls and sighed.

"Yeah, I remember. Didn't she change rooms almost every year?"

Bulma rolled her eyes and laughed.

"Yep. She is never happy, that girl. She's out with friends and forgot her phone, so I'm sure she'll be back eventually and won't leave your side. Sorry she isn't here for comfort!"

Bulma hugged Marron sideways and patted her back before heading back to the very lively dining room.

Marron walked inside the pink paradise and turned off the light. She fell onto the fluffy bed and clutched a pillow. Her purple sequins glistened in the moonlight and her silver heels sparkled. She felt so overdressed…how could anyone ever get used to that kind of lifestyle? Then she realized that her best friend, Bra and her mother were very comfortable in that lifestyle. Maybe she could live that way, too.

She reached up and touched her lips. Her whole body quivered and she could instantly smell the strong cologne again. She could feel his muscular chest beneath her fingers and taste his lips on hers. She blushed and began to feel warm again. What was this? She was still in love with Goten and would always be. Trunks was Goten's best friend. That's all. She shifted around on the bed and hugged the pillow tighter. She couldn't seem to get his burning blue eyes out of her head. They were there when she closed her eyes and again when she opened them. It was useless, she thought. This had to mean something. It was all pointing back to that one night in the rain. It had to be that.


	8. Fate of Two Souls

Goten only flew a few blocks before landing near a particularly interesting club. They specialized in dubstep and electronic music, his favorite, and it was 21 and up. No annoying kids to bother him.

After being carded, he walked through the doors of the club and was instantly immersed in loud dance music pounding the walls and rocking the floors. The lights were rather dim, but neon colored beams shot around the room, shinning minimum light on the many clubbers in attendance.

He made his way through the crowd and sat on a barstool at the bar. The table was sticky with spilled drinks, so he tried not to touch it. As he sat awkwardly and waited for the bar tender to notice him, he looked around at the crowd. Usually, he was more confident in these types of situations, but it'd been a long time since he went out alone. He'd also texted Paris to meet him, but she was already out with friends. Marron usually brought all of her friends with her and they always had a great time. It saddened him that he lost all of his friends that became only hers when they parted ways.

After a while, Goten started losing patience with the slow service, or lack thereof, from the bartender. After a bit of searching around, he noticed a girl dressed in a shiny, lime-green dress stalling the bartender. He slid off of his seat and walked over to her calmly.

"Excuse me, I would like a beer, please. If it's not too much to ask."

Goten scoffed at the girl and sat next to her pridefully. She ignored him and continued flirting. She got a giant cocktail, free of charge, and got up from her seat to re-join her friends with a single glance towards Goten. He watched her walk away and wondered why she looked so familiar. The bartender finally brought him a beer and practically threw it at him.

"Dude!" Goten exclaimed, but was quickly abandoned again for another pretty girl. He briefly wondered if that was why the bar is so sticky.

He turned around in his seat again and began to down his beer rather quickly. In order for him to feel even the slightest buzz, he knew he'd need at least four, maybe five. Best to get it done quickly.

After a few beers and two shots, Goten began to feel more confident. He struck up a conversation with some people at the bar and decided to join them when they hit the dance floor. He squeezed into the surging crowd and began showing off his drunken but still pretty decent dance moves. One by one, he danced with at least twenty girls within the first hour and a half. He moved from beer to shots and lost count somewhere after the sixth shot. He always recalled the stories from when Gohan returned from college at times like these. He told Goten that most saiyans must have an abnormally high alcohol tolerance, because Gohan was the record breaking drinking champ on his school's campus. Goten smiled at the thought of being a drinking champion and confidently began to grind up against another girl. Before long, he realized that this was actually the girl from earlier that flirted her way to a free drink at the bar. A new cocktail was in hand as she accepted his advance.

Before he could even get a good look at her face, all of the lights in the club turned off. Some people squealed, but the music was quickly interrupted.

"Alright everyone, it's glow stick night! Let's get this party started!"

The DJ booth suddenly produced multitudes of glow sticks and threw them into the crowd. Goten grabbed a handful with the girl in front of him, who laughed when she dropped nearly all that she tried to catch. He put a bracelet on her hand and she put a necklace around his neck. He still couldn't see her face, but he could see that she had shiny, blue hair with glitter all throughout.

The music restarted, but it was heavier and even more electronic than Goten thought was possible. They started to dance on each other again, but this time, mystery girl was much more into it. The heavy techno seemed to cause a sort of hormone surge in the crowd, and people began to go crazy. She twisted and turned against him, dropping to the floor and sliding her back side slowly up Goten's legs more than once. She stopped and circled around before starting the whole process over again.

He reached out and put his hands on her waist. She was very thin, but had curves that would make any super model jealous. She was also extremely fit. He could feel her muscles on her stomach when she flexed about.

"Damn." He said out loud as she leaned back against him and swayed her hips violently back and forth.

Her hand drew slowly down his face and neck before stopping on his chiseled pecks. She turned to him and pressed up against him. Before he knew it, they were making out on the dance floor and they didn't even know each other's names. He still hadn't been able to see her face.

"There's a bathroom over there. Let's go." She whispered in his ear, "I need it now!"

Goten almost passed out at the opportunity, but he figured he'd been screwing everything else up lately. He might as well have some fun screwing something for a good cause. He laughed dangerously and grabbed her hand. She began to pull him towards the bathroom, but he thought that she pulled unusually hard and was awfully strong. He again marveled at her fit body and wondered what she must work out so much for. Maybe she's a model or a bodybuilder?

The girl flung open a door and looked around to either side of them. She shoved Goten inside and joined him, slamming the door and panting heavily. He felt her reaching around for a light switch, but it was no use. He couldn't hold back anymore.

He reached forward and grabbed her by the hips. He pulled her to him and tripped over what felt like a broom.

"I don't think we're in a bathroom." Goten said between kisses.

"I don't give a shit where we are."

Goten shrugged and continued toungue-wrestling the mystery girl. He stopped for a moment to readjust himself against another wall and moaned as she began kissing his neck.

"You like that, baby?" Goten asked seductively.

"Oh, yes. You are such a good kisser!" She slurred as he began kissing her neck in return.

Goten felt a strange pang as he licked and sucked on her shoulders and neck, like he wanted to do something extra freaky. He stopped himself, but she pulled him back in and started sucking on his neck even more. He felt his body losing control, but he had to reign himself back in again. This idea in the back of his head was just too far. He didn't even know her.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and hopped up onto him. He pushed her against the opposite wall, hard. Her skirt was already all the way up her waist, so he simply slid down her panties. They felt like they were made of lace, but they were barely covering anything at all. Clearly someone intended to get some tonight. Strangely, Goten was completely okay with that. He placed his face between her breasts and smothered himself between them, as they were fairly sized for such a small women. She giggled as he did so, but quickly moved back to moaning when he pulled down the top of her dress and started licking them.

In the heat of it all, she started trying to move a little too much for Goten's comfort, as this nagging sensation was still distracting him from his full potential. He pushed her back and pinned her arms up with one hand and put the other around her back.

"I call the shots in here, pretty girl."

She melted onto him and he felt her nod. He let go of her waist and balanced her on his knee while he undid his zipper.

What followed was the most intense explosion of sensations that Goten had ever experienced in his life. He was by no means a virgin when he started dating Marron, but it had been a long time since he had sex with anyone but her. This girl caved and contorted in ways that he didn't think were possible. He felt dominant and in control, but at the same time he felt completely out of control. She was literally blowing his mind.

They continued to pound harder and harder, until Goten realized that they were actually breaking the wall. He wondered how she was withstanding so much force. He could never be this harsh with any other girl. It was hard to keep his saiyan power in check at a moment of such intense passion or lust. He felt himself getting close to the end when she reached up and pulled him close to her. He felt her lips near to his and felt her warm breath on his face. She moaned loudly before pulling herself up to his neck and biting down on him. At first, he felt a rush of panic. No girl had ever bitten him before, but then he realized that this was the sensation that he'd been fighting for the entire rendezvous. He actually wanted to bite her. He needed to. He leaned forward and bit down on her neck in return. She released him and moaned, clawing into his back as he continued pumping faster and faster. She screamed loudly and they began to climax together.

Goten felt like his head was going to explode. The climb to the top was slow and agonizing, almost more than he could handle. They soared higher and higher until they hit that invisible pleasure ceiling and crashed down together. She wiggled and writhed under him while he held completely still.

"Oh, my God, that was like…amazing." She giggled at him.

Suddenly, something clicked in Goten's head. That giggle. The strength. The blue hair. He realized who this was and practically dropped her on the floor. He quickly stumbled about for the elusive light switch.

"What are you doing? You just like, dropped me."

Goten ignored her question and continued searching.

"I'm looking for the-here!" Goten found the light switch and turned it on.

The woman before him dropped her jaw and her eyes widened. Goten dropped and sat on the floor in disbelief. She covered her mouth, tried to speak, but just continued stuttering.

"B-Bra? Are you even 21? How in the hell are you here?"

She scoffed, "I am what my ID says I am!"

Goten laughed in frustration and buried his face in his hands.

"What the hell are you doing here anyways? Didn't Marron's dad have a freaking heart attack?"

Goten sighed. He knew that's where he should be but he didn't want to face his dad yet.

"Hello? Earth to Goten? Like…you should put some pants on now."

Goten snapped out of his trance and apologized. He pulled up his pants, which were still stuck around his feet. Bra snickered as he shimmied them back up, clearly impressed by what she was seeing.

Goten thought for a moment about everything that had happened in the last hour. He stood in front of her and stared down at her in confusion.

"Bra…how did…why did you bite me?" Goten asked quietly.

She stopped trying to fix her hair and looked at him.

"Uh, I was gonna ask you the same thing."

Goten frowned, "You did it first!"

She put one hand on her hip in typical Bulma fashion.

"You were the one being all rough! I guess I'm lucky you didn't go super saiyan on me! You must have just got me over excited…"

He thought for a moment.

"Is it some kind of weird saiyan thing?"

She shrugged, "I don't know. I don't ask my mom or brother about those things. Maybe you could ask my brother? Oh wait. He'd probably kill you for screwing his sister!"

She stomped to the door and touched her neck where he'd bitten her. She grumbled about makeup and tried to open the door, but Goten grabbed her arm and spun her around.

"Wait! I think…okay this is crazy but I think I know what happened."

Her angry eyes turned soft as he released her arm and moved closer to her again.

"Goten. Stop. Whatever you are going to say, I don't care. This can't happen again."

He let her go, but she stayed.

"Look, I don't know really know what just happened. I was just…it's just been a really freaking weird day and I…I'm so drunk…and…I dunno…it wasn't that bad, was it?"

His face was dazed and confused when she didn't immediately answer.

"No. It was definitely not horrible. And for the record, I'm nineteen, so it's not like you did anything wrong. Sorry for being so snippy. I guess I kinda…drank too much, too."

They stood motionless in the closet.

"So…could you take me home?" She asked innocently.

"Home? No, my whole family is there! What would they think?"

She thought for a moment, "Well, it's probably super late?"

He took out his phone and powered it back on. It continuously beeped for about 10 minutes with messages from his mom, Gohan and even Trunks. Trunks' message seemed urgent, at least more relevantly urgent than the texts from his mom.

"Bra…can you wait for a second? I gotta call Trunks real quick and make sure he's okay. This text is weird."

She sighed, "Yeah. My phone died right after Marron texted about what happened. Go ahead."

He hit Trunks's name to call him and put the phone to his ear. After several rings, a very sleepy Trunks answered.

"Hello?" Goten stuttered, "T-Trunks. Hey. Uh…where are you?"

Trunks was silent for a moment.

"I'm at my apartment. Dude, it's like four AM."

Goten looked at the time on his phone and smacked himself on the head.

"I'm so sorry, man…I know it's late. I'm really drunk, I can't go to your mom's place and face my mom like this. Can I stay with you tonight?"

Trunks sighed loudly, "Of course. Do you need me to pick you up or can you fly?"

Goten thought for a moment but then looked at Bra and briefly panicked. There was no way Trunks could find out about this.

"Well, a lot of weird ass shit just went down and I sobered up pretty quick. I should be able to fly there."

Trunks hung up the phone, satisfied. Goten felt like a complete idiot for calling him so late, but what are rich best friends with nice, big apartments for when you're wasted in the city?

Bra looked up at him with big, doe eyes and smiled at his frustration. He looked down at her and felt an instant pang of warmth surge through his body. His fingers went numb and his mouth could no longer speak. Her eyes spoke to him in a way that he'd never felt before. It was like they were talking without words. He leaned down and kissed her lightly on the cheek.

"Yeah, I'll take you home…after you clean this up!" He pointed at her neck. She laughed and covered it up with her hand.

"People will think we're vampires!"

He put his arm around her waist suggestively, "Sexy vampires…"

They kissed again, but this time it was different. He couldn't quite figure out why there was such a pull to her now when before it was just a hook up. He barely knew the girl.

They wandered outside and walked behind a building. It was always a better idea to kick off from a place that wasn't out in the open, even if it was late. He picked her up into his arms and hit the air hard. It was bitter cold and stale. Goten really wasn't used to the dirty, city air. Bra began to doze off against his chest.

When he saw the familiar, round home, he lowered himself into the yard silently. He put Bra down gently and reminded her to drop her ki, or power level, so that no one could notice them. He kissed her hand and took off into the sky again, leaving her swooning as she wobbled into her house.

Within about ten minutes, he landed outside of Trunks' apartment building. It was huge and crept into the sky above the clouds. He was on the penthouse floor, so Goten always felt stupid calling it an apartment.

"Rich dudes…" Goten murmured as he buzzed Trunks' caller.

"Get your ass up here! Everyone keeps waking me up!" Trunks' voice came over the speaker and just about busted it from the inside. Goten fell backwards in shock but got up quickly and ran in through the buzzed-open door.

Inside the building, the lobby was made entirely of marble and a huge walkway revealed several, fancy elevators. A night guard was completely passed out at the security desk, otherwise making the entire floor dead silent. Goten tip-toed passed the officer and headed for the elevators. He stared at the lit "up" button for what seemed like ten minutes before an elevator approached.

He wandered on and instantly a voice came over a speaker, "Welcome to the Arkzos Building! Please allow me to take you to your desired floor." Goten looked up and saw a generic looking woman's face on a television screen. He stared at her and wondered if he was supposed to talk.

"Please say the name of the floor that you seek." The woman asked again.

Goten coughed, "level…penthouse?" The voice obliged and the doors closed. The elevator shot up, knocking Goten to the floor.

"Whoa!" He yelled. The alcohol was starting to turn on him.

When he reached Trunks's floor, the doors opened to another guard.

" is expecting you. Rough evening?"

Goten rubbed his head and gave the guard a snobby look before opening the door. He headed straight past a sleepy Trunks and fell face first into the huge, leather couch.

"Goodnight Goten, goodnight Trunks!" He muttered into the couch.

Trunks laughed and tossed a blanket on top of him.

"See you in the morning, bro!"


	9. Explanations

The next morning, Goten awoke to a text from his mom saying that Krillin made it through the night and that everything was stable at the moment. Chichi, Videl and Bulma were at Capsule Corp with Pan while Gohan and Goku went back to the hospital with Yamcha and Master Roshi for support.

He sighed a sigh of relief.

Goten rolled over on the couch and fell off with a bang onto the floor.

"Owww!"

He stayed face down for a moment so the room would stop spinning.

"Oh, look who's finally up."

Trunks' voice came from the kitchen.

"I had my assistant get us breakfast. How's that? Fresh bagels and coffee from that place you like down the street."

He ruffled the bag to get the bagels out, but Goten groaned in protest.

"Owww, oh, my God that is so loud."

Trunks laughed and walked over to him, tossing the bagel at his best friend.

"I know you don't like cream cheese or anything because you're weird, so here's a naked bagel."

Goten squinted up at him and noticed that he was smiling from ear to ear.

"Dude…what's with the face?"

Trunks laughed again and shrugged. Goten knew what that usually meant and stopped asking questions. Trunks must have had a hot date last night, he thought to himself.

Trunks took a swig of coffee and sat back on the couch.

"So, what the hell happened to you last night? You have more unnecessary angst than a teenager. You went out and got hammered because your dad came back? Come on. My dad never gave a shit about me and you don't see me having problems with it."

Goten sat up quickly and held his head.

"Hey. At least your dad wasn't just like, gone. Mine up and left for some stupid kid he barely knew."

Trunks thought for a moment and seemed to agree silently. The sun was bright through the window and Goten shielded his eyes as he was talking to Trunks.

"I'm gonna go ahead and shut these for now." Goten moaned.

He got up and pulled the velvet curtains shut. He took one of them and rubbed it between two fingers.

"You're so rich. I hate you but I love that you let me stay here. I wish I had velvet curtains in my shit-hole room."

Goten smiled his goofy smile and plopped down on the couch. Trunks rolled his eyes at him and pointed to the sleeve of his shirt.

"So, you and Paris had some fun at the club last night? Public. I like it."

Goten began to respond happily, but quickly realized that he had most certainly not been with Paris the previous night.

"Shit!" Goten exclaimed with a mouthful of bagel.

Trunks stopped eating and looked concerned.

"Oh my God…it wasn't her? Shit, dude…that's cold. Every guy in the city has tried to get with Paris and you already screwed it up? I knew it."

Goten slammed his head into his knees.

"Ow!"

He looked up again and felt sick. The room began to spin out of control.

"I think…I'll be right back."

He ran to the bathroom as Trunks started laughing again.

"Woo-hoo, Goten…getting a taste of what it's like to be a playaaa! That's what I'm talkin' about!" Trunks called after him.

As soon as Goten slammed the bathroom door shut, the intercom beeped for attention. Trunks walked over to see who was there, but before he could even see the camera, a voice came over the speakers that made Goten's hair stand up on end.

"Hello? Trunks? I left my shoes there the other day. Let me in!"

Bra's voice filled Trunks' ears with unpleasant screeches. He groaned audibly and took another sip of coffee.

"Well hurry up, I've gotta head to work soon!"

Trunks beeped her in and unlocked the front door for her. After a few minutes, she let herself in and stomped her foot.

"Oh, my God. These stupid guards. They acted like they didn't even know me for at first!"

Trunks rolled his eyes, "Just get your shoes."

Bra pranced into the guest bedroom and began searching under the bed.

Meanwhile, Goten was still on his knees in the bathroom, sicker than he felt he'd ever been. The cold floor was sending shockwaves up his body with every ache and pain he felt. He got up and sat on the edge of the tub, but the room was still spinning and he fell backwards.

"Ow!"

He yelled to himself yet again. He pulled on the curtain to help himself up, but instead pulled the curtain clear off the hooks. He landed harshly and decided to stay there in the tub, covered by the curtain for a moment. As he laid there quietly, he began to hear the conversation taking place in the living room.

He could tell that it was Bra, but he also knew that there was no way that Trunks could ever suspect them. He still couldn't believe that it happened. He heard Trunks' voice getting louder and realized that they were walking towards the hallway.

"Trunks, I'm just saying, she's like, broken. Her parents are in the hospital and her ex is an asshole."

Goten felt his stomach tighten and begin to turn again. Why were they talking about Marron?

"If you're going to sleep with her, just know that Goten will probably kill you if he ever found out. She called me all upset and left this message about how mean you were when she stopped kissing you to answer her phone. Unfortunately, my phone was dead, or I would have come over there and beat your sorry ass!"

Goten gasped and tried to get up, but the room spun around and he fell backwards again.

"I mean, you just kissed right? Why is she so obsessed with you? Way to totally break one of my best friends with your stupid Brief charm. She's totally into you now!"

Goten couldn't stand it anymore and thrust up and out of the tub. He held in the sickness and hobbled to the door.

"Trunks…is Goten here? His ki…it just jumped sky high…"

Bra asked in a panic, spinning around towards the door.

"You were probably a little loud. Way to go. A shit storm is about to hit." Trunks cringed.

Goten flung the door open and stood hunched over in the doorway behind them. He slumped against the doorway and stared at Trunks. Bra turned red and began to back away slowly.

"I'm gonna just go…"

Trunks nodded at her and held his hand up in the direction of the door. She turned on her heel and grabbed the door knob with nervous hands. After she exited the apartment, Trunks turned back to Goten, who was glowing with fury.

"Goten…I can explain…"

Trunks' completely calm demeanor only served in making Goten even angrier. Goten's eyes flickered between blue and black. He was holding back his anger, but his saiyan body was having serious difficulty. Trunks started walking forward slowly with his hands out in front of him, ready to grab Goten if he tried to attack, but the saiyan anger continued to build inside of Goten. He snapped into a hung-over super saiyan with wild eyes and clenched fists before Trunks could reach him.

"Goten. Stop. The carpet you're standing on is expensive. You're gonna throw up again."

Trunks took another step towards him, but Goten hunched over and turned around, barely making it to the toilet and snapping back into normal form.

Trunks laughed. "Told ya."

Trunks relaxed and walked calmly towards the bathroom doorway.

"I'm sorry, man. It just sorta happened…you know how Marron is. She gets emotional and then shit happens and…yeah."

"I can't…believe…you would….do this." He strained between heaves.

After a few moments of horrid upheaval, Goten sat up and leaned against the tub again.

"I just…don't most girls have a "don't date your friend's ex" rule? We should assumingly have a "don't screw your friend's ex fiancée" rule! How could you even consider her? You don't even really know her!"

Trunks sighed and leaned against the other side of the doorframe. The frustration Goten was feeling was completely lost on Trunks.

"I didn't screw her, man. It was just a simple kiss."

Goten moaned in pain and held his face in his palms.

Trunks thought for a moment. He really didn't know Marron all that well, at least not like Goten did, but he couldn't fight the connection that he felt with her. He thought about all of the times that she had set him up on a blind date with her and Goten's friends. No one had ever given Trunks the complete feeling of understanding like she did the night before. No one ever thought of Trunks as anything more than a rich, spoiled brat. Dating wasn't even a normalcy for Trunks. He was used to only seeing woman who were after his money. Marron didn't even want him buying her clothes at the store.

He lowered his head and felt sad for Goten, but happy inside for Marron. She was trying to move on. It wasn't long ago that he ran into her in the city and she told him that she'd never date again after what Goten put her through. It wasn't fair to have her feel that way. If Trunks could give her the feeling of being loved back, he was going to do it. All of this of course was not going to be disclosed to Goten, or anyone for that matter. Trunks was not one to express his feelings publically. He decided to play it off like he would to any other guy asking about his sex life.

"Goten, it's just not what you're thinking it is."

Goten stood up with a wobble.

"And what the hell does that mean?"

"It means it was no big deal, man. She was willing and it's been a long time…so it just kinda happened. And whatever, man. You cheated on Paris last night! You don't even have any room to judge me."

Goten turned red, "That's not the point! You don't know Paris! This is about you and my ex doing God knows what, God knows where! She's a sensitive girl, I was her first…you probably totally confused her!"

Trunks laughed again.

"So…do you still care about her or something? I thought you were trying to get her off your back."

Goten scoffed, "We're over, but that's not my point!"

Trunks crossed his arms in frustration. His prideful, saiyan side began to show itself.

"I'm allowed to do whatever the hell I want, Goten. She didn't have to say yes when I asked her to dinner. She didn't have to kiss me back. She always had the chance to say, "Oh, no! I still love Goten!" but she didn't. Stop being such a freaking drama queen for once and get the hell up. I gotta go to work."

Goten's mouth hung open. He got up from the floor and stomped past Trunks. Grabbing what was left of his bagel and coffee off of the coffee table, he slammed the front door on his way out.

Trunks sighed. He wasn't sure what to think about the feelings that connected him with Marron, but he couldn't let Goten know that it was the best night that he'd had in a long time with a woman. He also knew that he could never tell Goten about the night he spent with her before. That secret had to stay buried forever, even from Marron herself.


	10. Addicted

Back at the Brief household, Marron was just waking up from her strange and stressful night. She worried for her father before she thought of anything else, but soon the thought of what happened with Trunks popped back into her head and caused that strenuous pull on her stomach again. Aside from the fact that Trunks was the last person that she would have expected to give her a second thought, he seemed so angry after she answered her phone. Any time that Goten brought him around them and their friends, even when they were small children, he was so snobby and self-centered. Being on his phone was all he ever did on double dates. He could never get a girlfriend to stick around. The side of him that she saw when he was happy in the store and at the restaurant was a side that she didn't want to lose over a stupid phone call. She'd never seen him so happy.

She pictured his face and swooned. Those deep blue eyes…the one's that pierced her soul and seemed to be so thoughtful and caring were in fact the same that she remembered seeing burn happily when cold and heartless Trunks enjoyed pulling chairs out from behind people and tripping them in the hallway at school. True she was a few years younger than him, but every girl in school wanted a piece of the richest and most handsome boy in Japan no matter what age they were. Then there was Goten. He was always right beside him, cleaning up his messes and apologizing to the girls he crushed with his insensitive lack of emotions. Goten saw her back then. Goten grew up seeing Marron as a beautiful and intelligent woman when Trunks did not. Goten was a good man, the man she wanted to marry, not Trunks. Why was this all so confusing?

She rolled over in bed and rubbed her eyes before stretching as far as she could.

"Marron, breakfast is ready!"

She heard Chichi call from the kitchen down the hall. She got up from the bed and wandered sleepily over to the vanity mirror. She picked up her brush and began brushing out her beautiful, blonde hair.

"Any man would be lucky to have you." She whispered to herself, "If he so much as acts like last night didn't happen, then that's it. It was a onetime thing. But if he acts like it did…"

She paused and took a long, hard look at herself in the mirror. Her heart still belonged to Goten, but Trunks definitely owned a piece of it now, too. She couldn't tell herself not to fall right back into his arms if his bad attitude turned around when he showed up today. She was hooked on him like she'd just tried a drug for the first time. She needed to feel it again. She needed to feel more of it.

In the kitchen, Chichi and Videl were still cooking up bacon and other breakfast goodies. The table was set for the usual saiyan feast, with homemade everything. Bulma was pouring drinks and laughing with Pan about something. Bra looked as though she had just come in due to the fact that she was soaking wet with rain.

"I wish it would stop raining! I'm so cold now…mom, why is this house so cold inside?" Bra complained as she twisted her hair and made a small puddle on the tiles below.

"Bra! If you need to ring out your hair, then do it in the bathroom! Someone could fall!"

Just as Bulma finished her lecture, Goku wandered into the kitchen half asleep and slipped on the puddle. He fell face first on the ground, but caught himself just in time with one finger to the ground.

"Woah!" Bra's face filled with horror as she looked up at her mom and back down to Goku. "I'm so sorry, !"

Chichi laughed at her polite address.

"Oh please, Bra. Just call him Goku. He's just a big goof, he's not angry."

Goku sat up and smiled at Bra, rubbing his head and chuckling. She didn't really know him that well, but his smile shocked her. That smile was the same smile that belonged to Goten. They were basically identical, minus the skinny jeans and frumpy, red beanie. She apologized again and retreated to her own mind to contemplate what might be happening with Goten and Trunks. Would Goten tell him what happened between them to get back at Trunks for kissing Marron? Maybe she shouldn't have said anything at all.

Just then, Marron came down the hall slowly in her robe and pajamas. She peered around the corner and was greeted with a warm welcome.

"Marron!" Pan hopped up happily and pulled out a chair for her, startling a pensive Bra. "How are you feeling today? I hope you slept well."

Bulma smiled warmly at Marron and motioned for her to join them. Yamcha patted the chair next to him that Pan had pulled out, "Come on and sit down, girl!"

Marron somberly took the seat and yawned. Bra sat next to her and scooted closer to her seat. She quietly laid her head on Marron's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry that I missed everything yesterday. I wasn't around here and my stupid phone died. I'm yours all day today! Whatever you need…"

Marron tilted her head sideways and onto Bra's head. Pan looked on jealously and squeezed herself between them.

"I'm here, too!" The girls all laughed and Pan seemed to feel better.

With everyone arriving at the table to take their seat, Videl tapped her glass of orange juice with a spoon. They all looked at her and watched intently.

"Sorry, this is lame. I was trying to find the right time, or the right way to do this…but since we're all here today and Krillin is doing well, I'd like to make an announcement."

Gohan casually walked over to the counter holding a mug of coffee and stood behind Videl, placing his arms around her waist and hugging her tightly.

"What's going on, dear?" Chichi asked in a concerned voice.

Videl blushed and smiled, looking down at the floor.

"We're having another baby, mom." Gohan placed a hand on Videl's stomach and cuddled her shoulder.

Chichi instantly burst into tears and started jumping up and down, grabbing Bulma and spinning around. Goku stood up from his chair and hugged his son and daughter-in-law before running over to Chichi and throwing her in the air. Pan looked stunned, but she seemed okay with the news as a smile crept across her face the more she thought about it. Everyone else happily congratulated them and clapped. Marron looked at her feet and felt stupid. Here she was worried about last night when something like the birth of a new saiyan baby was just announced. She decided today was a day to be happy about Videl and Gohan and ignore her feelings about Trunks. It's not like he was there in the house anyway.

While everyone continued to celebrate and started eating their food, Goten arrived and headed in through the front door. He was mostly ignored, but one set of eyes turned and met his with a fiery blaze. Bra got up, announcing to her mom that she needed to fix her makeup, and walked out of the kitchen, into the hallway.

From the hallway, Bra frantically waved Goten to the bathroom down the hall. Goten quickly said hello to everyone and pretended to head to the bathroom. When he crept towards the door, Bra grabbed his shirt and pulled him into the bathroom, frantically looking around for her still absent-from-breakfast father.

"Goten!" She said completely frazzled, "I…I just wanted to say that…"

She paused. Goten seemed unaffected by her frantic behavior and simply waited for more words. She shook her head and continued.

"Last night was awesome. I couldn't stop thinking about it when I got home…I didn't think you would still be there this morning. I'm so sorry that I let the cat out of the bag. If you still have feelings for Mare, then I understand and I won't bother you again…I'm sure that I made everything super complicated between you and Trunks. I didn't mean to do that and it totally sucks that I did!"

Goten looked down at his feet with a silly grin. She waited for an answer, but instead he grabbed her arms and pulled her tightly into his chest. She looked up, completely startled

"What are you doing?"

He looked down again, but then moved his eyes slowly up her entire body with a very distinct smirk.

"Last night…was the best night that I've had in a long time. I don't want that to be the last time that I see you…like that. I was thinking about you the whole way over here, too. You and that little green dress…"

Dumbfounded, Bra pulled away and shrugged him off.

"Don't you have a girlfriend, though?"

He scoffed. "I called her and broke it off on my way over here this morning. She didn't even care. I think I was one of many. But you…"

He stared into her eyes. Something like a magnetic pull was drawing him to her. He'd known her since she was born, but this was different. He felt connected to her soul. He wanted to kiss her. Was he allowed to kiss her? They weren't together. His head was spinning with questions.

"Wanna…I dunno…see a movie or something, sometime?"

Bra smiled a genuine, sweet smile. She brushed her hair away from her face nervously as she giggled and struggled to answer. Goten reached out and tucked the strand of hair behind her ear.

"God…you are beautiful."

Without another word, Bra jumped into his arms and kissed him hard. He held onto her and pulled her legs up onto his waist. He pushed her towards the sink and sat her on the edge, kissing her without reservations.

Bra pushed him away after a few seconds and panic spread over her face. She frantically stared out of the open door and back at Goten.

"Goten…My dad is here somewhere! If he hears us…see's us even! Oh, we gotta get back to breakfast. We'll talk after, okay?"

She hopped off of the sink and straightened out her skirt. Goten again looked her up and down with a sultry smirk on his face. She slapped him lightly on the shoulder and stood on her tippy-toes to kiss him one last time. She hadn't realized how ungodly tall he was before. Big heels were definitely in order when they went to see that movie in the future.

She slipped out into the hallway and mouthed for him to wait a few minutes before rejoining breakfast. The thought of sneaking around with her made Goten feel energized and dangerous. He liked that feeling. He wanted more of that rush. It was the first time he'd felt alive since his entire life fell apart with Marron.


	11. And So It Is

Goten sat down at the breakfast table, joining a very flustered Bra. The fifteen year old raven-haired saiyan beside him instantly stared to grill him with questions about his whereabouts during the previous night. His little niece's black, inquisitive eyes stabbed into him for the truth, immediately realizing that he was covering something up.

"Seriously, Goten…since when do you come home with…that?"

She pointed discretely at his neck, looking around to make sure no one was paying attention. As soon as he reached his fingers up to touch his neck, a cold panic rushed down his spine. He had totally forgotten about the bite mark. Trunks could have seen it, anyone could have. He covered it and blushed violently.

"Uh…yeah…freaky, huh?"

Pan looked repulsed.

"Seriously, Goten…you're so gross sometimes."

He laughed awkwardly and pushed his chair out to stand up.

"Hey!" An angry, low voice growled from behind him, "Watch where you're pushing chairs out, you fool!"

Goten turned around and realized he'd pushed his chair right into Vegeta's side as he was walking by.

"Shit…I'm s-sorry, Vegeta!" Goten held up his hands in surrender but quickly covered his neck again.

Vegeta gave him a strange look but proceeded to take a seat next to Bulma at the table as Chichi scolded Goten for his language. Goten shot Pan a look and turned to head down the hallway again. To his surprise, Bra snuck away from the table after him. She turned the corner just as he did and pretended to run into him.

"Hey! Hey…could you give me a hand with something? I'm having trouble opening…this thing…upstairs…" She looked around Goten's arm and checked to see if anyone was paying attention.

"You gotta cover this thing up! I forgot all about it!" Goten demanded quietly.

"I know, I know…come one. I have just the thing."

Bra grabbed his hand and started for the stairs, releasing him as soon as they came into view of the others again. When they reached the top of the stairs, Goten ran down the hallway behind her, looking over his shoulder, still covering the bite mark.

"I need makeup…who would've thought…" He whispered frantically.

Bra squinted at him and rolled her eyes before laughing. He waved his hands around anxiously.

"It's okay. I've got this." Bra declared.

She stopped outside of a door with a large, red "B" on the front with glitter and various pictures of different cities around the world. Goten looked at the pictures briefly before her door opened to a room more lavish than he could have imagined. Her red walls were covered in posters, like any teenage girl's room, but her massive bed made even the nicest hotel room look like it was lacking something. To the left were a few modern-looking steps that led up to the giant, velvet heap of blankets and pillows. What was it with this family and velvet, Goten thought. The four posts sticking out from all of the fabric held up massive, black velvet curtains around the bed that were tied back with hot pink tassels. Goten marveled at its royal composure with such a touch of her personality, considering he only had a small, twin size bed. He again thought to himself the urgency of finding his own place.

Bra walked to a large dresser in front of the bed and began to dig through the top drawer.

"You can sit down for a sec. I gotta find a slightly different shade for you…I know I have some in here."

Goten smiled and moved towards the bed. He stood to the side of it and flopped backwards on his back, sinking into the deep cushion of the expensive mattress happily.

"Damn, Bra…I wish my bed was this comfortable. I'd sleep all day!"

He looked up at the ceiling, and realized that the light in the room was a beautiful, silver chandelier. He marveled at it for a moment. Her lifestyle was everything that he wanted. He wanted to make a lot of money but always considered it to be out of his reach since his parents never really had much. Gohan proved that he was smart enough to get an awesome job and make lots of money. Videl did better still and got a really good job too, but she came from money in the first place. Goten didn't have the brains or the motivation for jobs like they had, no matter how much his mother thought otherwise.

He began to think about what his future would look like if he had money. He had always thought being a doctor was the way to go, but when he switched his major to creative writing, he was just ready to get a degree instead of spend years in school. That point in his life was the time he realized that he was not the same as his successful brother. He felt bad about it at first, but once his mom had a degree in her hands, all was forgiven. He looked to the side of the bed at the bedside table with a huge, feathered lamp. Underneath it was a picture of Bra with Trunks, Marron, Pan and Goten at a much younger age. He smiled as he looked closer. They used to be such close friends back then, zero drama. How that had changed. How Bra had grown…

"Okay, you…sit up."

Bra sat down next to him as he scooted up and crossed his legs.

"Your legs are like…everywhere. You're so tall."

He smiled and stretched them out over her.

"Maybe you're just short. Without your monster heels that is."

She scoffed. He'd always made fun of her heels, ever since she first started wearing them several years ago.

"Shut up. I need you to hold still."

She poked his side playfully and giggled. He leaned his head to the side and she began to work.

"Whoa, that is cold!" Goten shivered as the liquid touched his neck.

She smiled and continued patting away at his neck. Surprisingly, it didn't hurt. He realized that she must have covered hers up as well because he couldn't see it anywhere. How stupid could he have been to forget such a strange thing? Goten wondered what he could say to break the awkward silence while she worked on covering up their act.

"So…do you bite a lot of guys?" Goten asked innocently, instantly feeling stupid for asking such a lame question.

Bra stopped and gave him a characteristic Bulma face. "No, Goten. I do not bite people like a freaking vampire. I don't know what came over me last night."

She sat back and looked at him from a few angles.

"There. I can't see it anymore."

Goten reached up to touch it, but she smacked his hand away.

"Don't touch! You'll mess it up."

He sighed and leaned back on his hands.

"So…"

He looked around the room and then back to Bra. She leaned forward a little bit, but began to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Goten asked, confused.

"It's just…who'd have thought I'd be sitting on my bed with my brother's best friend after a wild night of drunken sex? This is just crazy…"

She shrugged and seemed to be amused by her own question. He smiled and agreed, feeling a little weird as he glanced back at their childhood picture. But as he watched her siting there, something from deep within began to stir and cause him to feel magnetized to her yet again. He instinctively reached out and pulled her close to him.

"W-what are you doing? People are here, Goten! Remember?" She tried to push him away, but couldn't seem to manage.

He sighed, "I know…I guess I just…wanted to hold you? Is that okay?"

"I…I guess so…" Bra blushed.

He pulled her closer and wrapped both arms around her back. She softened and leaned into his chest to take in his delicious smelling cologne.

"I…like this." She said as she nuzzled into him and felt a warmth from deep within.

It seemed to radiate through her body and into his, as he began to feel the same pull. He hugged her tightly, but released her all too soon.

"We should get back." He whispered quietly, before kissing her forehead lightly.

She looked up at him and into his dark eyes.

"We should."

They seemed frozen in time, like one was waiting for the other to move. Just as they began to lean closer again, footsteps up the stairs startled them apart and Goten hopped quickly off the bed.

"Guys! What are you doing?" Pan asked as she bounded into Bra's room.

Goten was standing over in the far corner looking at some pictures on a cork board, while Bra was sitting on her bed putting makeup back into a makeup bag.

"Uh…Goten…get out of Bra's room." Pan put one hand on her hip, looking ever so much like Chichi in that moment.

"It's okay, Pan. He was just helping me carry something."

Goten nodded but continued to face away from Pan, clearly trying to calm down from the encounter that had almost unfolded moments earlier. Bra giggled when she realized what he was dealing with over in his corner.

"Whatever. Your dads are about to start their training with a sparring match…want to watch?"

Bra nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah! We'll be down in a second."

Pan nodded back and after suspiciously glancing at Goten, she headed back downstairs.

Bra heaved a sigh of relief and looked at Goten before giggling uncontrollably, like they'd just gotten away with a petty crime. He turned slowly and walked back over to the edge of the bed. Bra scooted towards him and smiled warmly before setting her chin on his stomach and looking up at him. He pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her back again, hugging her tightly and pushing her back onto the bed. He stayed on top of her and brushed her hair away from her porcelain face.

"It's okay. I'll only go when you ask me to." He laid his cheek on the top of her head and she closed her eyes.

"What is this, Goten?" Bra asked quietly.

He sighed, "Well…I'd say it's the start to something awesome?"

She laughed and reached up to hold his face gently in her hands.

"Yeah. Something awesome."


	12. In a Crowded Room, I Looked for You

As Vegeta and Goku readied themselves for an intense training session in the back yard, Chichi's cell phone rang. She answered it cheerfully, but her face quickly turned sullen and very upset. Goku watched his wife carefully, fearing the worst. As she hung up, she looked down for several moments in silence.

"Goku…" She whispered, "We…we have to go to the hospital."

Goku's eyes widened and he instantly kicked off into the sky in the direction of the hospital. Chichi turned to go back inside the house.

"Wait, what happened? We were just about to train!" Vegeta practically hollered at Chichi.

She turned and gave him a look of anger and hurt before walking through the door. Vegeta's lack of sensitivity was not appreciated at the moment.

"Bulma. Krillin had another heart attack. The doctor's…well there were some complications…" Chichi said softly.

Bulma shot out of her seat, spilling the drink that she had in front of her all over the table. Marron turned white with fear and Yamcha buried his face in his hands.

"We have to go there now, guys." Yamcha demanded.

Bulma grabbed Yamcha's shirt and flung him towards to door.

"Fly me there, now!" She exclaimed.

He picked her up and left, much to Vegeta's discomfort.

"I'll take you, mom. Videl, you can fly with us. Can someone take Marron?"

Gohan turned and looked at the staircase, where Goten and Bra stood in shock.

"I-I can." Goten hesitated after one too many seconds of silence, but he knew that this could turn out really badly.

Bra tensed, but tried to let go of her self-centered ways for a moment. Marron was in fact still her friend and Goten did not belong to her. She dwelled on her last thought for a few moments before rushing out and kicking off into the air herself.

Marron stood slowly and began to walk towards Goten, but could barely move. Her face was as pale as paper and her eyes were huge and bewildered. Goten gently picked her up and carried her outside, where he and Gohan kicked off.

A very frustrated Vegeta and looked at Master Roshi, who sat silently next to Pan.

"I'll stay here. If you want me to…I'll watch this one, here."

"I don't need a babysitter, Roshi."

"Silence. Just…stay here. One less person to worry about." Vegeta scolded Pan, blasting off as soon as he ran back into the yard.

Just then, Trunks entered the house from the back door.

"What the hell is going on? I felt everyone's ki jump up…everyone's flying away…what the hell happened?" He looked genuinely concerned and frightened.

"You should go, Master Roshi. Trunks can take you. We shouldn't stay here…this could be really bad." Pan said somberly.

"What happened?" Trunks asked again.

"Krillin had another heart attack. It doesn't look good." Pan answered.

"Oh…shit…c'mon Roshi…let's go. Damnit." Trunks ran a hand through his hair. His face was full of pain for the family and what it might mean to be close to them by the end of the day. He loaded Master Roshi up onto his back and took off into the sky with Pan at his side.

Up ahead, as Bra flew through the air, her heart felt like it was going to explode. Every nerve ending in skin was firing horrible, cold shots of dread. She put herself in Marron's shoes momentarily. The thought of losing her father brought tears to her eyes instantly. Krillin wasn't supposed to die like this, she thought, their dads are warriors. She supposed that heart attacks were just as bad for anyone, even for a human as powerful and trained as Krillin. Besides, Goku's heart disease almost killed him had it not been for Trunks coming back from the future with medicine. She found herself feeling completely overwhelmed by her strange life.

When she arrived, everyone was already in the lobby aside from her brother, Roshi and Pan. The news couldn't be good, as everyone was upset or crying. When she walked through the doors, Goten looked up at her and shook his head. She knew in that moment that Krillin didn't make it.

Marron and 18 sat in the center of the circle, hunched up together on the floor and sobbing. 18 looked like she herself could go into cardiac arrest at any point as she gasped for air and squeezed Marron. Bra watched on in horror and began to cry silently. Standing there alone and watching her friend sob caused the pain to feel raw and unnerving. She covered her mouth in shock when she noticed her mother was just as upset as 18 and in the indifferent arms of her father, Vegeta. Yamcha leaned down onto the floor and began to sob with 18. Goku was off to the side leaning his back against the wall holding Chichi, trying to stay strong. Tears were rolling down his strong cheeks and he seemed like he wanted to die right along with Krillin. She imaged how it must feel to lose your best friend after not seeing him for so long. He never got to say goodbye.

Bra walked towards her mom and dad, but Trunks arrived and marched in quickly. It didn't take long for them to get the hint. Roshi joined 18, Marron and Yamcha, holding them like a grandfather would. Bra tried to get closer, but Trunks held out an arm and stopped her. She looked up at him, confused.

"Krillin and mom grew up together. She needs dad right now, not you." Trunks said through stifled emotions.

Bra scoffed at her brother. He rolled his eyes and continued to stand still, without emotion and crossed his arms. In some ways, Trunks was so similar to Vegeta that it was scary. Bra then looked back to Goten, who was standing away from the crowd now and looking up at the ceiling. She approached him cautiously, afraid of how he would react to her showing interest in talking to him in public. Her mind was in fact still clouded by the intense moments that they had shared earlier, regardless of the tragedy before them. Goten looked at her and for a moment, she thought that she should turn around and walk away, but instead, he held out an arm and motioned for her to approach. She quickly ran to his arms and he let her cry into his sweater. Lucky for them, most everyone was comforting someone, so it didn't look suspicious at all. As soon as she touched him, his own tears flooded forward. The emotional person he was inside couldn't hold back the sadness. What if this was his father? It could have been.

A doctor came out from the hallway and asked for 18 and Marron to follow him. 18 stood up and took Yamcha's arm.

"I…I need for them to come, too."

She could barely speak. Master Roshi and Yamcha followed the two distraught women, presumably to discuss what happened and what to do next as the others watched on in pain.

After a while, Videl sat down next to Bulma in an armchair.

"It'll be okay, Bulma. We'll get through this. We get through everything together, as a family."

Bulma sobbed into her hands, still leaning on Vegeta but receiving no comfort from him. Videl looked away and sniffled before she rubbed her belly as if she were thanking the baby inside for still being alive. Gohan walked over and sat down next to them and also rubbed her belly, but their expressions were grim and looked worried. Bra wondered what they were actually thinking about. Did the baby have some kind of problem? Great. That was all their family needed right now. She prayed that it was simply an expression of grief.


	13. Means to an End

Goten stepped out onto the back deck and watched the rain pour down onto the dirty city streets. The screened-in windows vibrated with each crack of thunder, shaking the Earth in fury.

"What a storm." Goten whispered under his breath to himself.

It had been five days since Krillin passed away, and with yesterday being his funeral, it seemed that today the Earth was truly sad to have lost one of its greatest protectors. Goten stifled the urge to shed more tears at the thought of never seeing him again. Krillin could have been his father-in-law one day. It seemed so surreal that no matter what the circumstances turned out to be now, he would never get to hear anyone use that phrase to refer to him.

Goten leaned onto the windowsill and sighed. The house was silent in the night, almost like no one was even there. He could feel the tortured ki of android 18, who slept in a spare room to avoid going home. Just as another heave of emotions came over him, he heard a sniffle and looked to his left. He couldn't see anyone in the darkness, but he could hear them stirring about as if they realized they'd been discovered. He moved away from the windows and the sound of the pouring rain and felt the energy of the room. Whoever was there didn't want their ki to be read. He stealthily walked towards the back of the room and quickly peeked behind a stack of boxes, revealing the source of the strange noises.

A very upset Marron was curled up in the fetal position on the floor. She was crying softly and hiding her face.

"Mare? What are you doing out here? You should be in bed…" Goten rushed to her side without hesitation. "Mare…talk to me."

She buried her face into her knees and sobbed harder. He put his arms around her and held her tightly. He realized in that moment that in the past five days, he'd been avoiding her again. He'd been avoiding comforting her in any way and spending all of his time with Bra. He felt badly for abandoning her, but quickly remembered that Trunks had been there for her. The thought hadn't bothered him since he'd been so interested in another woman.

Her body quivered and quaked with sadness as she reeled in sorrow, startling him out of his own thoughts.

"Goten, I…I'm sorry. I just couldn't sleep. My mom wouldn't stop crying. Even when she does sleep it's just constant tossing and turning and talking to my dad."

Goten plopped onto the floor next to her and scooted against the wall.

"That sounds rough."

He instantly regretted such careless words, but she didn't seem to mind. He wasn't sure if she even heard him. He got the feeling that just having someone next to her helped her to feel better.

"My dad is dead, Goten. He…he died."

She looked up at him with watery-blue eyes that caught the light of the lightning from outside. His heart tore for her as he looked at her sad face. He put his arms around her and held her. Her crying seemed to slow, but her expression was unchanged.

After several minutes, Goten began to drift off to sleep. The room was filled with only sounds of the rain and soft thunder.

"Goten?" He jumped with the sudden burst of sound. "Y-yeah…what's up?"

He looked down and her eyes were wide open and staring up at him.

"Woah...you look…better?"

She smiled, "I was just thinking about some of my old memories of us. You haven't held me like this…in a long time."

He laughed awkwardly, but suddenly got very uncomfortable.

"I mean, think about all of the fun times we had as a family. Dad loved you so much." Marron continued.

He saw where she was heading and felt even worse. She still had feelings for him, but after the past few days with Bra, he'd finally felt like he was really moving on from her. He thought of what Bra might do if she walked in and saw him sitting on the floor with her in his arms and quickly attempted to scoot up and move over.

"What's the matter, Goten?" She asked, holding her position steady as if protesting his movement.

He swallowed hard, "Uh…nothing. I just…I'm kinda uncomfortable."

She watched him closely.

"Well…let me scoot over." She struggled out of his lap and onto the floor. "You know, Goten…I really feel lucky to have a guy like you in my life."

She looked up at him again and he realized what was going on. He hadn't smelled it until now, but she'd been drinking. She was always such a lightweight, Goten thought.

"You're like, the nicest guy ever." Marron hiccupped.

He considered her elated state and decided it was time to put her to bed. He leaned forward to inch his way up the wall, but Marron grabbed him by the shoulders and kissed him suddenly.

It had been over a year since the last time he felt her kiss. He tried to back away, but like a cornered animal, he was trapped. His wide, open eyes looked at her in shock while tears began to flow down her cheeks. He considered how he might be able get out of this, but a small piece of him, locked away tightly, was starting to melt under her intensity. Somewhere deep inside of him, old feelings began to surface and old memories began to play inside of his head like a movie.

Somewhere inside of those memories, Trunks' face appeared. He pictured them together, Marron sad from grief with Trunks hunkered over her like a personal body guard. Goten may have a lot of respect for Trunks, but he was still wounded over the fact that Trunks had taken advantage of her at the restaurant and carelessly acted like she was just some girl. This was Marron. She was the most amazing girl that Goten had ever with great, supportive parents. Her parents never abandoned her like Goten's dad did. His mind contorted as he realized that all of things that made her so wonderful to him were now gone. Her father was dead. Her dad did abandon her, just not on purpose. His mind began to race with thoughts when Marron began to sit up and attempt to reach under his shirt. Goten pulled Marron close to him and began to kiss her like he used to. The feelings that he used to feel were surfacing rapidly, but with more intensity than a burning fire. She was like he used to be now, fatherless and alone in the world. Friends could never fill the void of having no father there to support and encourage you. He began to wonder why he left her in the first place as her soft lips moved down his neck and he began to kiss her shoulder.

A loud clap of thunder roared outside while they continued to embrace and kiss furiously. It seemed like they were drowning in forgotten passion until they heard a creek from the doorway and quickly pulled apart. Goten stood up frantically and looked down at Marron, who looked at the doorway. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

A brooding silhouette shadowed the doorway ominously. It lingered there for a moment, but then disappeared just as quickly as it came. Goten couldn't feel any ki energy levels, so he wasn't sure who it was.

Marron looked up at Goten again with wide, scared eyes.

"Do you think they saw us?" She asked weakly, "I…I'm so sorry!"

She plunged her forehead into her knees and began to cry again. Goten sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Well, this is just great."

He looked at her and suddenly felt enraged that she kissed him.

"What were you thinking? This was not okay."

He began to pace back and forth frantically. His overemotional responses never ceased to scare Marron just a little bit.

"How many times have I told you that we're over? Now this tragedy happens and you decide it's okay to kiss me again? Did you think that me feeling sorry for you was just an excuse to get with me again?"

Marron looked horrified. She tried to speak, but Goten continued instead.

"I can't believe this! I have a girlfriend! I can't do this with you anymore!"

Marron gasped. He felt like cramming his foot down his throat as soon as the words left his lips. Was Bra really his girlfriend? He didn't even know what she was. All he knew was that he felt connected to her in a way that he never felt towards Marron.

"You bastard." She said under her breath.

He dropped his flailing arms and paused before angrily yelling, "What did you call me?"

Goten felt his anger rising.

"You heard me. You have put me through hell. You created this situation tonight. You could have just left me very well alone tonight, but you chose to come over here and play savior! You always had to put your nose where it didn't belong! You always ruin everything!"

She stood up from the floor and wobbled against the wall.

He frowned, "I…I was just trying to be nice! We are supposed to be friends! At least, that's what you want, isn't it? That's why you can't stop calling me?"

Her eyes seemed to turn to fire.

"We can't just be friends! I still love you, Goten!"

He crossed his arms and frowned deeply. He knew about Trunks. There was no way that she could be speaking the truth after kissing his best friend and lying right to his face about it.

"Well I _don't l_ove you!" Goten exclaimed.

She let out an exasperated groan of anger and stomped past him. He didn't mean to come across so harshly, but he didn't know how else to make her understand his feelings. He could feel everything so heavily and so intensely. He just wanted the moment to be over.

Goten stood alone in the dark for several minutes after he heard her bedroom door slam shut. He wasn't sure if anyone heard them arguing, but he was sure that he was finished talking to her. He was done comforting her and he was done feeling like he owed her anything.

He looked out the window and watched the rain tapping on the ground outside. A loud crack of thunder startled him out of his deep thoughts and he decided that it was time to head to bed. His feet felt heavy as he turned, but he knew that he had done the right thing. If only he knew who had seen them in the moment, then his uneasiness would be relieved.


	14. A Sticky Situation

The next morning, Goten awoke to the fabulous smell of all things perfect cooking in the kitchen. The tantalizing smell of bacon seemed the most taunting.

"Goten! Get up!" He heard Chichi call from the kitchen.

He groaned and stretched out on his bed. He reached up above the headboard and hastily punched the wall.

"Ow! Shit!"

He rubbed his hand for a moment before throwing his long legs over the bed and struggling to stand. What a night, he thought to himself. He wandered over to the dresser and began digging through the suitcase that he placed gracefully on top of the dresser. He pulled out a blue t-shirt and black skinny jeans, tossing them on and checking his hair over carefully. It stood up straight without much effort, which was what he preferred.

When he opened his bedroom door, the smell of eggs and toast added to the wonderful array of scents.

"Goten!" his mother peeked out of the kitchen and into the long hallway, "Your food will get cold, lazy bum!"

Goten swished his hand at her and entered the bathroom to brush his teeth. While he stood there, he thought of how awkward it would be to see Marron when she got up. Should he say good morning? If he ignores her, someone will know that something was up. Well, someone does know, but who? A cold chill rushed down his back and he almost swallowed some toothpaste.

"Who…" he mumbled aloud as he pondered the horrifying thought.

A small knock came to the door.

"Yeah?"

Goten figured that it was his mother again and opened the door. Trunks stood before him, dressed to kill as usual.

"What's up?" He asked, foaming at the mouth with toothpaste.

Trunks cringed at the sight and sighed.

"Look, things have been weird with us lately. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for all the crap and I think we should, like…not fight anymore."

Goten shrugged and smiled. He stood there silently brushing his teeth without speaking, seemingly over everything they'd fought about. Trunks began to feel embarrassed.

"Okay…then I'm gonna go…"

He turned to leave, but Goten lunged forward and grabbed him for a big hug.

Trunks flailed about and yelled, "Aw, you're gonna mess up my suit! This is worth more than you! Ahh, get off!"

Goten laughed and gave him a pat on the back, "All is well with us, bro."

Trunks rolled his eyes and smiled. They always had a way with each other that made things so easy after arguments. It was easy to forgive for both of them.

Goten returned briefly to the bathroom to finish brushing his teeth. Afterwards, he reached for the doorknob and just as he turned it, the door opened again and Bra ran in, giggling as she went.

"Morning, stud!" She pushed him against the wall. "Hey! I gotta get out there before my mom…"

She cut him off, kissing him quickly.

"I know, I know. I just wanted a good morning kiss. Looks like my brother got a nice hug…can I have one, too?"

She smiled devilishly and Goten melted into her arms. This girl, he thought, had a real hold on him for some reason.

"How's your neck?" She asked, "Mine seems to be all healed."

She checked, pushing his face to the side.

"Yep. All better. No more makeup for you, cutie!"

She kissed his cheek and skipped out into the hallway.

"Come on! Let's eat!"

She held out her hand. When he took it, she pulled him out, hugging him tightly again, and then bounded forward ahead of him. He couldn't help but notice her perfect figure as she floated down the hallway.

"Damn." He said out loud, causing her to turn and give him an evil yet happy look. She loved it when he said that.

Bra sat at the table and motioned for him to sit next to her, which didn't seem to surprise nor cause any attention from everyone who was already there. He sat happily, but looked around confused when he realized that Marron was not present.

"Wow, this looks great, mom!" Gohan said with a mouthful.

Chichi turned and smiled from the stove, still frying something up. Bulma came in on her phone, talking quickly, dressed in a business suit with bright red high heels.

"Yes, I'll be there. Yes. Yes, I can let him know. Thanks!"

She hung up the phone angrily and sighed.

"Where's Trunks? He needs to come to this meeting! He's been skipping and the investors are getting curious!"

She looked at Vegeta, who was standing wistfully at the window watching the rain.

"Hun, where's Trunks?"

Vegeta turned to her and shrugged, seeming annoyed.

"I'm not his keeper, Bulma."

She scoffed at his arrogance and stomped back into the hallway.

"Phew…I'm glad our house doesn't have so much drama!" Pan whispered to Goten. She was sitting to his right and devouring pancakes by the stack. She looked up at her uncle and chuckled, "Have you ever wondered why saiyans have such a big appetite?"

"Because we're awesome?" Bra answered quickly.

Goten felt a warm growing inside of him. He hadn't thought about how awesome it was to have a girlfriend who completely understood what it was like to be just like him. He caught himself thinking the same nagging thought again. She was becoming a "girlfriend" and not just Bra very quickly. He pushed the thought aside and continued eating.

"Bra…wanna go for an errand with me?" Goten asked quietly.

"I wanna go out, uncle Goten!" Pan exclaimed loudly.

Goten gave her an angry look and Videl nudged her under the table.

"You have…studying to do!" Videl lectured Pan, "Besides, let the grownups have some fun!"

Pan rolled her eyes and slammed her elbows on the table. Bra laughed at Pan.

"I would love to! As long as you take me shopping!" She hopped up, "I'm gonna go change!"

She ran off, bumping into her mom.

"Where the hell is your brother?" Bulma threw her hands up in the air.

"I don't know, mom! I saw him leave with Marron just like, a few minutes ago!"

Bulma made an angry noise and stomped out the front door. Vegeta laughed and walked over to hold an umbrella for her, which made Videl smile and "awe" at them.

Goten's curiosity had been peaked by Bra's comment about Marron leaving with Trunks. It was different this time. Jealousy wasn't the problem. He worried that she might tell him about their nighttime fight. That wouldn't look good.

"So, where'd Trunks take Marron?" He couldn't resist the urge to ask.

Videl shrugged, "I'm not sure. I didn't even see them leave."

Just then, Goku entered the room and bid everyone a good morning. He'd been out training since the break of dawn. Goten looked at him and wondered who in the room was the culprit from last night, as no one was acting funny.

"Well…I'm heading out." Goten stood awkwardly from the table.

"Make good choices!" Goku called after him, causing the table to laugh and Chichi to hug him for being so thoughtful.

He figured his dad might be the most likely to walk away and not realize what was actually going on. Maybe it was Goku, which wouldn't be the worst option in the world.

Bra came bounding down the stairs in a white tank top and flowing, orange skirt. Her heels were high, like usual, but Goten got the feeling she wore them so she wouldn't seem so short next to Goten. He was 6'8" after all.

"Let's go!" She exclaimed, digging through her purse for the perfect capsule. "Whatcha think…sports car or luxury ride?"

He wondered what she meant for a second, but then realized that she probably had every new make of vehicle as soon as it came out in those capsules.

He recalled his mother talking about Capsule Corp inventing their capsules. His maternal grandfather, the Ox King, thought they would simply fade out as a fad, since people preferred good ol' fashioned cars. Little did he know that a capsule containing anything from a motorcycle to a yacht to your house would be the fastest growing and most innovative invention for the next thirty years to come. Capsule Corp was constantly inventing newer and better things that all fit inside the magical capsule.

"I've found just the one! Is it raining?" Bra answered for him.

Goten turned to look out the large window in the living room.

"No. Looks like it just stopped…"

She jumped up in glee.

"Yes! Okay let's go!"

She ran outside and threw her hot pink capsule. Out of the puff of smoke was a bright red, brand spanking new motorcycle. Goten squealed in glee.

"Oh, my God! This isn't even on the market yet!"

She smiled, "I know!"

He thought how delightfully cocky she was to be quite refreshing.

"You can drive, hot stuff!" She tossed him the keys.

He held back another cry of glee and trotted forward towards the beautiful bike. He hopped on the motorcycle and started the engine, delightfully enjoying every moment. Bra hopped on the back and wrapped her arms around him.

"I'm ready!"

He put the bike in gear and it took off into the air. It sure was great that even the bikes were hovering above ground now, he thought.

They flew into the city and Bra pointed at a fancy café.

"Let's go there later! I've always wanted to go there for a date!"

Goten blushed. She snuggled into his back, hugging him tightly. The two zoomed around the city for a joyride for some time when Goten noticed a certain vixen walking down the street, hand-in-hand with a guy and surrounded by friends.

"Paris. Shit." Goten whispered.

"Paris? Who's that?" Bra asked in confusion.

Paris stood for a moment staring at them as they waited at a red light.

"Oh, my gosh! You jerk!" She called out, her friends soon joining the yelling.

Bra looked over curiously and quickly asked Goten, "What the hell are they yelling about?"

Goten turned purple with embarrassment, "Uh…she's my ex…I kinda left her for you…after we…you know."

Bra smiled triumphantly, not bothered at all by the idea that he may have cheated on the girl.

She tilted her sunglasses up onto her forehead and called out, "Hey, you!"

Paris stopped yelling and looked Bra in the eyes.

"Are you jealous, bitch?"

She stood up on the back of the bike and tilted Goten's head back, kissing him. When she was satisfied, she plopped back down onto the back of the bike and waved like a princess before Goten hit the gas at the first sight of a green light. Paris' mouth hung open, along with her friends and the new guy. Goten felt a rush of adrenaline and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Well, she shouldn't bother you again!"

They pulled up to a fancy store a short distance ahead and Bra hopped off.

"I guess this means that you're mine now?" She asked in a cute voice.

She twirled around happily before running up and jumping onto Goten.

He smiled, "Yeah…that was awesome. You're awesome."

She kissed him and hopped down.

"Shopping!" She exclaimed.

Just then, they noticed a couple in the store that looked vaguely familiar.

"Oh, my God!" Bra knelt down at the window, attempting to be sneaky. "Goten…look!"

She motioned for him to come over and creep over to the window as well.

"What the hell?" Goten moaned.

She grabbed his shirt and pulled him to the ground with saiyan force.

"Look!"

Inside, Trunks was buying something at the register. A blonde girl wearing a pink dress and yellow high heels was next to him, turned away from the window.

"Who's that?" Goten asked. "I'm not sure…oh, God…"

The girl turned around and wrapped an arm around Trunks, who kissed her happily.

"It's…it's Marron!" Bra exclaimed.

Goten's mouth hung open as he watched the two. They looked just as happy as he was with Bra. Trunks held onto her as she looked around the store and kissed his cheek. Goten backed away and stood up.

He knew that he was starting to fall for Bra, but a strange feeling of betrayal began to well up inside of him. After the previous night, he thought she was still in love with him. What was she doing hanging all over Trunks when she had only just kissed him instead? He began to feel angry. Was she just playing him to get a reaction? Maybe Trunks was too busy for her and she needed attention. He then recalled that Trunks was skipping out on work to hang out with her. He thought that maybe this had been going on for a while.

"Ten?" Bra asked, still hunched over on the ground peering in on the two.

"Sorry. Uh…this is weird, let's go."

She looked up at him confused and turned back to the window.

"Oh, crap!" She fell backwards onto the concrete just as the door opened and the couple stepped outside. Goten turned and instantly ran over to Bra.

"Uh…hey…guys…" Trunks looked confused, "Bra? What are you doing here?"

She slowly raised her eyes to him from the ground.

"Uh…what's it look like…I'm on a date!"

Goten cringed at the word. He turned to run away, but Trunks grabbed his shirt and threw him against the wall.

"You…the girl from the other night…that was my sister?"

He raised his fist to Goten, who hid his face and began to plead for release.

"It's not what you think! Please! It's a long story, ok?"

Trunks began yelling, but Bra looked at Marron, who seemed to be horrified at Bra.

"You're…dating Goten?" She seemed genuinely hurt.

"You're still screwing my brother? I thought it was one time!"

Trunks stopped and yelled at Bra for saying it out loud, but Goten punched him in the face just as he turned.

"You slept with her?" His power level began to skyrocket.

"Goten, you can't even go there! You slept with my sister!"

Marron covered her mouth in horror.

"You slept with my ex?"

Bra shrugged, "So what? I do what I want!" She crossed her arms and swung her hair at Marron.

Trunks staggered back from Goten's punch, but didn't hit back.

"Okay…clearly this is a really screwed up situation. Let's think rationally here."

He rubbed his cheek angrily. The girls relaxed a bit, thinking that he'd come up with a calm solution.

"An eye for an eye!" He turned and punched Goten in the face, throwing him back against the brick wall of the shop and breaking some of them in.

"You freaking ass!"

Bra stomped towards him to defend Goten, but Marron grabbed her arm and pleaded, "Look let's just stop this! Let's talk it over calmly!"

Bra threw her off of her arm, "Never grab a saiyan princess like that!" She growled with the ferocity of her father.

Just then, a voice came from behind them.

"Okay guys, let's take a breath here."

They quickly turned around to find Videl behind them.

"Videl?" Goten asked weakly.

"Look, let's stop the hitting and grabbing. Lady with a baby, here. Let's sit down and have a little talk before someone goes super saiyan on the side of the street."

Trunks laughed, "Well, Bra won't because she can't!"

He pointed at her and she attempted to bite his finger.

"Guys! Let's go sit at that café and I'll get you some coffee. No biting!" Videl scolded.

Bra and Trunks angrily eyed each other while Marron stood horrified and Goten remained punched into the brick wall trying to unstick himself from the indent.


	15. Scratching the Surface

Videl began walking casually over to a table across the street. She sat down and waved the four of them over. Marron practically ran to her while Trunks glared at Goten and his sister as though he was glued in place.

"Trunks, let's go." Marron took his hand and he allowed her to pull him away.

"Oh, Goten…I'm so sorry. My brother had no right!" Bra said frantically, trying to pull him out of the bricks.

Goten coughed, "Yeah…no, he kinda did. You are his little sister. He just loves you. I'd punch someone for getting with Pan, too."

He cringed at the thought momentarily and began trying to pry himself out of the wall.

"My hand is stuck…" He tried pulling on it, but Bra angrily punched the bricks and freed him.

"There!" Bra said triumphantly.

He smiled, "Thanks, princess." He kissed her cheek but quickly remembered that Trunks was staring at them and backed away, laughing and waving in surrender. Bra scowled and stomped over to the table.

"So…I guess I showed up at the perfect time!" Videl smiled and happily received her coffee from a waiter.

Marron frowned, "I thought you weren't supposed to drink coffee when you're pregnant…"

Videl laughed, "Look that one up! You can have up to three a day and research shows no effect on the baby. Come on girl, lighten up!"

Marron had never really gotten used to Videl's strange sense of humor when she was dating Goten.

"So…what's the big issue here?"

"Um…so I'm guessing it was you last night right? Please don't say anything about what you saw!" Goten whispered as the others looked at each other in disgust, distracted.

She looked at him in shock, "I have no idea what you're talking about…I don't want to know. Ew, Goten!"

He flushed a bright red and slumped down in his seat.

"Never mind…carry on. Let's talk this out."

The four looked around, but no one spoke.

"So I assume the problem is that you don't like your best friend dating your sister…and you don't like your best friend dating your ex."

Trunks and Goten nodded reluctantly.

"Well! You have the power to take charge of your own life, not someone else's. Goten and Marron were over a year ago…we in the Son household know that well enough."

She eyed Marron, clearly referring to her late night calls pleading Goten to take her back. Marron blushed again and slumped in her chair, mimicking Goten.

"And Trunks…you want your sister with a good guy? Who better than the friend that you've had since, well I don't know, since he was born?"

She seemed quite pleased with herself, but Trunks frowned.

"I don't think I'd be comfortable with her dating anyone, period."

Bra rolled her eyes, "Well, you can do whatever you want with whoever. If you're happy with Marron, be my guest."

Bra snapped her finger and bobbed her head back forth as she talked, before crossing her arms and sitting back against the chair. Trunks took a gulp of his coffee and looked at Marron.

"Do you want to add anything to this…clearly very coincidental intervention?"

Marron peeked up at him and shrugged, "Well…I think we've all been under a lot of pressure and…maybe we're too involved with each other's problems. I'm sorry for the other night, Goten."

Goten looked like a deer in headlights.

"What happened the other night?" Bra looked at Goten with fury.

"Uh, nothing! I don't know, we talked, that's all."

Bra scoffed and looked out at the street. Marron angrily glared at Goten, realizing that he didn't tell her what happened. It was clear that she instantly regretting bringing it up, seeing as she didn't tell Trunks, either.

Trunks stood up frantically after checking his phone.

"Um…I totally forgot about this meeting…Mare, I'm so sorry. I really gotta go!"

Marron looked up at him slightly annoyed, "I asked you if you had to work today…"

Videl waved her hand a few times, "It's fine, she can ride home with me! I just had to run some errands."

Trunks thanked Videl and stopped to meet Bra and Goten's eyes, "I've got my eyes on you two…"

He stomped off and threw a capsule, producing a very fancy sports car. Marron waved goodbye and Bra sighed.

"Thank God he's gone." Bra grumbled.

Goten laughed and put his arm around her, but Marron glared angrily.

"Well, how about coming shopping with me, Marron?" Videl asked happily.

"So you were literally just over here shopping? You didn't follow us?" Bra asked seriously.

Videl smiled, "No, I didn't follow you. I had stuff to do today. We've been thinking about moving closer to the city."

Goten raised his eyebrows, "Really? Mom's okay with that?"

Videl shrugged, "We have the funds to get her and Goku a little place behind ours, like an in-law suite. I'd like to move closer to my dad. He's been having some health issues and I just wanna be closer."

She finished her coffee and set the mug down before getting up from her seat.

"Let's go, Marron! We can check some real estate around here if you'd like."

Marron smiled and got up to leave with her. They waved goodbye and headed down the shop lined street.

"So…that was weird." Bra snuggled into Goten's shoulder.

"Yeah, it was. It sure did feel like an intervention."

He looked down into her big, blue eyes and smiled. "My friend is having a party tonight. Wanna go?"

She perked up quickly.

"Party? Hell yes!"

He laughed, "I'm guessing we need to go shopping now?"

She threw her arms around his neck. "You know me so well!"

She hopped up from her chair and pulled Goten along with her.

"It's so weird dating another saiyan. You're as strong as I am!"

She frowned, "No…you heard Trunks. I can't turn super saiyan yet. Neither can Pan. Maybe girls can't?" She pouted, "My dad says princesses don't need to be super saiyans because I'm already powerful without it!"

Goten laughed and poked her cheek. "He's got that right!"

After a day of visiting stores that Goten had never even heard of before, he was exhausted. Bra had a bag or two from at least twelve different places and had to use another vehicle to drive them all home. As Bra sped forward in the car, she realized that Goten was sulking a bit.

"Sorry we couldn't take the bike out again, I know how much you love it. I'll get you one from the garage when we get back. My mom has like eight of them because my dad likes to ride them."

Goten's mouth fell open. "Your mom has…eight…Vegeta likes motorcycles?"

He made a face at the thought of big, tough guy Vegeta enjoying such a human hobby.

Bra rolled her eyes, "He's a lot more fun than you guys even know. I love my dad."

She beamed with such pride, Goten thought. Her father was supposed to be the king of their dwindling race one day, and perhaps she could have been queen. He laughed out loud at the thought of Trunks as a king, causing Bra to scrunch her face at him.

Vegeta had instilled such pride in their race into Trunks and Bra. Goku didn't even know he was a saiyan until his evil brother tried to kill Gohan when he was just a toddler. Goten felt that burning anger towards his father stabbing at his heart again.

"I wish I would've been taught more about saiyan customs when I was younger. My mom was mad at me when I turned super saiyan for the first time…she said I wasn't allowed to do it again. She called me a monster."

Bra laughed, "Well, I'm sure you and Trunks proved her wrong several times over. Gotenks is awesome."

Goten gave her a surprised look, "You think Gotenks is awesome? Why don't you try fusion with Pan?"

Bra sighed. "My dad doesn't like teaching the technique. He thinks it looks stupid. Your dad wasn't around, so we never got to learn."

Goten got angrier and stared down at the floor.

"I hate that he left."

He went silent. Bra peeked up at him and could see that this was something that truly bothered him. She'd only just scratched the surface of a very damaged man. She wanted to know more, but now wasn't the time. She got the sense that she needed to lay off. They drove home in silence, but for Goten, it was comforting silence.


	16. Love Me

That night, it was chilly outside and pitch black. Bra shivered when she looked outside of the kitchen window of Capsule Corp and pulled a scarf around her neck. She was nervous to meet all of Goten's friends at a party, but more nervous that those friends were also friends of Trunks and Marron. Even though she was only four years younger than Trunks, it felt like they were decades apart more often than not. She ran her fingers through her side ponytail, which she straightened and sprayed some glitter spray into.

"Ah!"

She exclaimed, startling Gohan, who was sitting at the table alone and typing on his laptop. She ran into the hallway bathroom and began to dig through her purse. It seemed like the bag was endless at times. Finally, she found her lip gloss and applied it liberally in the mirror, smacking her lips and checking her eye makeup one last time. She loved the way she looked, and wasn't afraid to admit it. Her vanity and pure lack of concern for others feelings came naturally to her, like she was born to be the best. In her mind, she was the best at everything she'd ever done in her life. She thought briefly about the conversation with Goten earlier, when he instantly clammed up about his father. She frowned. Vegeta was a fantastic father. He was always reliable and always proud of her. Her mind wandered to the fact that she was still not a super saiyan, and Goten's comments about fusion flooded her mind. Why hadn't she ever fused with Pan? She remembered asking him to teach them when they were younger, but he never helped her train. He also never trained with her, something about not hitting girls. Vegeta just flat out refused to work on fusion with Trunks, and she remembered a few things about Goten being around at that age. She fumed for a moment over her lack of ability, but quickly remembered that tonight was all about first impressions, and perhaps the night that Goten would finally make it official.

She opened the bathroom door and walked out casually, but immediately ran right into her father.

"Ah! Sorry, dad!"

He frowned.

"Why are you dressed like that? Isn't it kind of late?"

She rolled her eyes, "Daddy…I'm almost 20! I'm going out with Goten…and Trunks and Marron."

She quickly added on to her sentence to hide the fact that it was a date.

Vegeta scoffed, "Just make sure you are safe."

He blushed and crossed his arms, staring up at the ceiling.

She smiled, "I will be safe, Daddy!"

She lunged forward, throwing her arms around his huge muscles as if he were a giant teddy bear.

"Alright, alright…get out of here!" He turned on his heel and marched upstairs, clearly embarrassed by Gohan, who was smiling behind his computer screen.

Bra decided she should check on Goten to see what was taking so long and headed to his room. He had become quite comfortable at the Brief household over the past two weeks, leaving clothes about and constantly leaving his cell phone all over the house. It was quite easy to lose things at Capsule Corp simply by forgetting which room they were left in.

"Goten!" Bra called happily. He didn't answer. She knocked on his door lightly and heard a small gasp.

"Goten?" She slowly turned the doorknob and peeked inside.

"Goten!" She called out angrily, "What are you doing?"

He shot off of the bed and fell face first onto the ground.

"Holy shit! What time is it?" He was in his blue-striped boxers and looked like he'd fallen asleep after a shower.

"I'm ready! Give me two minutes!" He frantically ran around the room grabbing his things and threw on the nearest shirt and pants.

Bra couldn't help herself and began to laugh after a few minutes of frenzy.

"You aren't allowed to laugh at me! You wore me out shopping all day!" He pointed at her and fell forward over his shoes. "Ow!"

She sighed, "Well, if you didn't have such huge feet, you wouldn't fall over your shoes all the time! You're so clumsy." She pointed at her stilettos, "It takes true skill to wear shoes like these. And you fall over your sneakers!"

He scrunched his face at her, "They aren't sneakers! They're converse…there's a difference!"

She sighed. "Whatever, can we go?"

He stood up in front of her and stretched, "Yes, yes let's go. I'm sorry I had a nap!"

He hugged her tightly, throwing her off balance for a moment. She loved the feeling of his long arms around her.

"Wait one second though…" Goten added quietly.

"What? What is it?" Bra asked, looking at her dress nervously and tugging on her scarf, "You don't like the outfit?"

"Oh, Bra…trust me…that is not the problem. I was gonna say that you look…so hot…"

"Stop it…" Bra blushed, loving the compliment.

"You stop it…" Goten grabbed her backside and pulled her onto the bed with him.

"Goten! We have to go!" Bra giggled, trying to avoid messing up her hair.

"Man…alright…I suppose I can let you off the hook this time. You really are beautiful, though…" Goten smirked his dangerous smile and let her get up.

They headed outside and chose another sports car capsule, only this one was not a convertible.

"Aw, why this one? I liked the one from earlier!" Goten complained.

Bra looked utterly confused by his comment. The answer was obvious to her.

"Goten. I can't ride in a convertible with my hair done!"

He rolled his eyes and hopped into the driver's side. As they drove off, Gohan stood in the window of Capsule Corp and watched. He knew something wasn't right with Goten lately, but didn't know what to do or say. Goku wasn't interested, thinking that he'd only make it worse, and Videl was too busy announcing their pregnancy and house hunting in the city. He decided that he'd let it go for a little longer, but made up his mind that he had to talk to Goten about Goku, and about everything else that he'd been up to lately. He felt like he'd practically raised Goten himself, so it was an obligation to offer his advice when he thought that it was warranted. His fatherly instincts were definitely alerting him to a possible Goten meltdown. None of them wanted to see that disaster again.

When Goten pulled into the party area, cars lined the streets on both sides. Bra looked around and frowned.

"These houses are super small…where do all of the people fit?"

Goten laughed, "We party with friends. It can get a little crowded, but it'll be fine."

She frowned again, "Why are all of the cars on the street and not in capsules?"

He sighed, "Some people can't afford capsule cars. A lot of people still have regular old cars."

She gasped. It seriously surprised her that capsules weren't completely mainstream. Goten rolled his eyes, but smiled at her naïve response.

"Just roll with it, babe."

She blushed and checked her makeup in the overhead mirror one last time.

"I tried to do my hair like that night at the club, just for you!"

As she showed off, Goten realized that he hadn't thought of that night for some time. At least not since Krillin died. He realized then that they'd only been intimate once and had since been dating in secret…this was not the way hookups usually worked for him. He pondered for a moment about just how into her he actually was, and the result made him take a deep breath for clarity. There were too many images in his head from that night, too many feelings, to continue thinking about it at the moment. Not with her sitting beside him in a skin tight dress, at least.

He diverted a bit, "If you're so cold, why are you wearing a miniskirt with a scarf and jacket?"

She looked down, forgetting the exact outfit she was wearing.

"Uh, because…I'm awesome?"

He laughed. Clearly, she was trying to impress him with her party wear. He was pretty sure she'd impress every guy at this party, considering the vast majority of his friends were indeed single guys.

They walked up to the house, a spilt-level, white home on top of a hill. It was one of many older homes along the street side, but located slightly further away from the road than the others. Bra thought it looked a little creepy from the outside, but the part was definitely alive inside.

"Ready for this?" Goten asked.

She smiled and shrugged playfully, placing one arm around his waist.

He opened the door to a booming loud party of all sorts of faces in the crowd. She'd never seen such a diverse mix of people. Hipsters galore, he fit right in among the skinny jeans and converse crowd. She watched him greeting people and glowed inside with pride. What a confident guy he was around friends, she thought. She had yet to really see this side of him.

He snaked his way through the crowd and into the open living room with black leather sofas and ran up to a guy sitting in front of the huge television set.

"There he is!"

He clapped his hands down on the guy's shoulders, startling him, but he turned to greet Goten with a beaming smile.

"Goten! You made it!"

He stood up and his height was quite astounding. He was even taller than Goten.

He began asking Goten about life and attempting to catch up, but Bra interrupted.

"Hey, sorry…can I get a drink? I like…know no one…" She smiled awkwardly and blushed.

Goten laughed and put an arm around her shoulder.

"This is Bra, she's my…she's here with me tonight." He stuttered a bit, "She was excited to meet everyone!"

The tall, blue-eyed boy with messy brown hair held out a hand warmly.

"Nice to meet you! I'm Mikio, this is my place."

She shook his hand, putting her nerves on ease a bit.

"Let me introduce you to my girlfriend, she's around here somewhere…ah!"

He scanned the room and motioned for them to give him a moment as he darted off to grab his girlfriend out of the surging crowd. "Sorry, she loves this dubstep mix, it's hard to keep track of her!"

A girl with large, purple eyes and long, wavy, raspberry colored hair smiled from beneath her wispy, rocker bangs.

"Hey! I'm Kazuko!" She waved happily, red in the face from dancing. Clearly, she'd already been drinking.

Mikio laughed at her, "We have to be careful when she starts drinking. Sometimes she runs out the door and we have to go catch her!"

Kazuko laughed and held up her solo cup, "Drink! Have a great time! Woo!"

She turned and melted into the crowd of dancers again, causing Mikio to become noticeably nervous.

"Well, I'm gonna follow her around and make sure she doesn't get lost. We'll hang later?"

He smiled at Goten, who nodded and waved.

Goten handed Bra a solo cup of what said "Mikio Special" on the side.

"What's this?" Bra asked, sniffing the drink.

"Oh, Mikio and Kazuko love butter shots. It's cream soda mixed with it. They think it's a big secret, but we all know what it is."

Bra shrugged and tried the mixture, instantly squealing with glee. "It's so sweet and…ahh, so good!"

He laughed and held out a hand, "Shall we dance?"

Bra grinned. "Hell yeah!"

Goten spun her around onto the dance floor that was any clear space in the house. Instantly, she took to her moves that he remembered from that first night, only with precision that clearly was lost from all of the alcohol last time. He held onto her tightly and they danced well into the night, breaking now and then to get another drink, until they lost count. The music pounded and it seemed that they were moving in slow motion, grinding around on each other and kissing frequently. Goten's friends were starting to notice and talking about it. He tried not to care that some of them, mainly the girls, were on Marron's side of the split. Instead of worrying, Goten couldn't recall a time that he felt so complete.

She was mesmerizing to him, twisting around and flipping her long, blue hair. He started feeling dizzy, but continued to dance with her. Drunk and happy, he picked her up and twirled her around.

"Goten! Ah! Let's take a break. I'm so hot!" She kissed his cheek and folded backwards in his arm, spilling her drink on the floor.

"Oops!"

They both laughed and fell onto the nearest couch.

The lights were dim, aside from the colored lights shooting around the room and a disco ball somewhere in the house. She snuggled into his chest and laughed, taking another sip of her drink. He continued feeling dizzy, but smiled and tried closing his eyes.

"Woah!" He exclaimed, "Woah, don't close your eyes. Ah, the room is spinning!"

She laughed. "What are you, a light weight?"

He leaned forward and rubbed his eyes. "Nah, I just party that hard, baby."

She was too drunk to really notice and stayed leaning against the back of the chair.

After resting for a few minutes, his stomach started to settle and the room slowed down. Bra was wiggling in her seat, ready to dance some more, when Trunks and Marron caught Goten's eyes.

"Uh, oh…Bra, here comes trouble! I'm too drunk for this shit!"

Goten stood up, falling back onto the chair, but raising up again.

"Trunks! Hello, good sir!"

Trunks laughed, "Okay, you are really drunk. We were kinda late, so I'm totally not at your level yet. Take it easy, bro."

Goten looked at Marron.

"Why, were you crying again? You look a little…puffy."

Trunks sighed, "Goten, stop. You are really drunk. Think before you talk."

Marron shrugged, "It's whatever. I don't care."

She was clearly bothered by not just what he said, but his appearance. He'd changed from average guy to hipster over the past year, and it was just not Marron's style. Bra rose next to Goten, grasping his waist to steady herself next to him.

"Hey guys, go away, we're having personal time!" She squeezed him, causing him to gulp down a sip of alcohol and choke briefly.

"Watch out for her. She gets violent when drunk!"

Trunks pointed at Bra, who instinctively tried to bite his finger again.

"Stop…pointing!" She pointed back at him.

"Okay! We're going over here…don't get into too much trouble!"

Goten gave Trunks a thumbs up before dropping his cup and laughing at himself, unnerving Trunks a bit.

"Okay, let's find some quiet!" Goten picked up Bra and began to carry her towards the staircase.

"Goten! I…I wasn't done dancing yet!"

He scoffed, "We can dance anytime! I need to lay down…I feel like shit, man…"

She giggled, thinking that he was alluding to another activity and just acting.

They found a bedroom that was empty and he stumbled inside. She fell forward, catching herself and laughed.

"Oh, my God. I can't stand up anymore!"

He grabbed her waist and flung her onto the bed, but before he could do anything else, he shot straight up and froze.

"Goten? What's wrong?" She asked with slurred speech.

"I feel like I'm gonna...nope, I'm good!"

He jumped onto the bed and began kissing her. She accepted happily, but he froze again after only a few seconds.

"Goten. What is it?" She asked, pushing him away.

"I…I think…oh shit…" He jumped off of the bed, looked around, and ran for the nearest window.

After an impressively long time hanging out of the window and hurling, Goten pulled his head inside and collapsed onto the ground against the wall. Bra sat with one strap of her dress hanging off of her shoulder and her mouth hanging open.

"That sweet stuff, man…it gets me every time. Mikio would kill me if I'd puked on his bed."

He laughed half-heartedly and rubbed his forehead.

"Geez, Goten. We didn't have to party so hard if you knew your limit was over!"

She slid off of the bed and onto the floor next to him.

"Do you feel better now?"

He nodded pathetically. She smiled and laid her head on his arm. He fell completely silent for a long time.

"Goten?"

Bra finally asked, shattering their silence like broken glass. He jumped a bit, but answered.

"Yeah…yeah I'm alright."

She frowned.

"What's going on with you? Like really…"

"What do you mean? I'm drunk as fu-"

"No, I mean about your dad…you seemed off earlier when we talked about it. I just wanna make sure you're okay. This heavy drinking…it's not like…to make the pain go away…is it?"

He took in a deep, heavy breath and sighed.

"I gotta tell you something, okay?"

He was clearly still drunk, but she was willing to take what she could get with his feelings.

"I did something bad. I knew I shouldn't have, but she kissed me first. I stopped her, but someone saw, and then I yelled at her. I didn't mean to yell at her."

He turned red with frustration at his own words. Bra sat back and watched him, mixed emotions filling her every nerve.

"Who?" She asked, knowing the answer already.

"Marron! Marron…that stupid Marron! I can't get away from her! I try to move on and she's there! I try to date and she calls me and then her dad goes and dies on her and I feel all bad and shit!"

He seemed to be welling up with emotions. Bra couldn't believe how open he was.

"I felt like…that coulda been my dad that died! He did die! Our dad's died, Bra. And then they came back, thanks to the dragon balls, but Krillin is like…dead. He's gone. What if my dad never came back? What if I never even got to meet him in the first place? You were like…four years old when I first met him. I was so confused. Shit was cray, man."

He seemed to go on forever, but Bra listened quietly.

When he'd finished pouring out his soul, tears were rolling down his cheeks and his face was purple with frustration.

"Bra, I'm sorry. I don't know what's happening."

She sighed, "Well, you're drunk, hun."

He looked at her with wide eyes.

"Maybe, but I told you all of this for a reason. You had to know."

She felt sad for him and took his hand.

"Why? Why would you put yourself through this to tell me? I mean…the thing with Marron…if you were feeling guilty, we weren't even official…we aren't…are we?"

He swallowed hard and looked her straight in the eyes.

"I told you all of this because…despite anything and everything in my life, no matter how shitty or weird…these past few weeks have been the best of my life because of you."

She held her breath, not knowing how to respond.

"I love you, Bra. I love you."

"Goten…don't say that when you're drunk…"

"I mean it! I mean…it…"

Goten started to lean forward. Bra stood up and picked him up off of the floor without much effort. She laid him down on Mikio's bed and snuggled up beside him. Perhaps he did mean what he said, but she would have to hear it from him when he was sober. She felt closer to him in an odd way. She was falling for him.


	17. Gone

Goten opened his eyes to a pitch-black room. The floor was soft and smelled like freshly cleaned carpets, but his head was pounding in pain. He tried to sit up, but his body felt exhausted and achy.

"What…the hell…" He whispered as he placed a hand on his forehead.

He felt around him for something to help himself up and found what appeared to be a dresser or a bookshelf. He wobbled up, feeling the blackness spin as he attempted to steady himself. He still couldn't remember where he was.

He felt around in the emptiness, looking for some kind of light source. His phone appeared to be dead when he tried to use it as a flash light. Finally, he found the other side of the room and tried to flick on the light switch. It was already up.

"What the hell…" he repeated, flicked it back and forth a few times before banging on the wall in frustration.

He noticed a small ray of light from where he had been and hurried back over. A window was covered by black out curtains. He laughed to himself for worrying and pulled them aside. He realized where he was as soon as he saw the other little houses down the street.

He was still at Mikio's house, but there was nobody outside. The house was silent. He thought that perhaps he blacked out and everyone had already left. He suddenly remembered what his last words were. He reached up and touched his mouth with his fingertips, worrying that she left him here because she didn't feel the same way. His heart fell to his feet and a cold sweat rushed over him.

He decided to feel for her ki, or anyone's that may still be around. Closing his eyes and focusing away from the pain in his throbbing head, he felt for any ki energy in the general vicinity. He searched for Trunks and Bra first, but couldn't feel them. Then, he felt for Marron. Though she was a weak fighter, she still maintained some training from her mother and could be felt as more than a general human. She was nowhere to be found. As he was searching through the depths of their unspoken world, a ki he didn't recognize popped into his head.

"Who?..." he said aloud as he felt the energy.

"Help!"

His concentration was shattered as a voice from downstairs cried out.

"Help! Someone!" He ran towards the door and practically fell down the steps in panic.

"Hello?" He called out. He could hear a woman crying.

"Goten?" He realized that the voice belonged to Kazuko.

"Kazuko! Where are you?"

He felt along the wall until he reached the living room. It was dimly lit by one streetlight outside and he could see her outline on the floor.

"What the hell happened?"

He practically shouted as he ran over to her.

"My head…hurts…" She rubbed her head slowly and looked around.

"Everyone is gone. It's like they vanished. The last thing that I remember is feeling really sick from drinking too much…I usually pass out drunk at these parties anyways."

She frowned and looked up at Goten while he sighed in frustration.

"Well, I guess I was feeling the same. Did you see Bra leave? Or Trunks?"

She scoffed, "Does it look like it? I can't get up!"

He looked at her feet and realized that her ankle was bent the wrong way.

"Oh, God! Your ankle is broken!" She looked down at it and instantly started screaming.

"How the hell?..."

Goten stood and tried helping her up, "C'mon. We gotta get you to a hospital."

She held out her arms and he effortlessly picked her up.

As they walked outside, they noticed that almost every car was gone.

"Did we seriously just pass out and miss everything?" She asked.

Goten looked up into the sky. It appeared to be early morning as the sun was just starting to rise.

"Do you have a car?" Kazuko asked, painfully straining her foot up in the air.

"I do, just…wait…" He looked down the street and realized that his car was gone.

"I had the capsule right…" He reached into his pocket and the car capsule was gone.

"That's what I freaking get for not using a capsule-keeper!" He angrily stomped forward. "Bra must have put it back in her keeper when I passed out."

He sighed, "Well, I hope you aren't afraid of heights."

She looked confused.

"Why would that matter right now?"

Goten grinned and shot off from the ground into the morning sky.

"What are you doing?! Are we flying?! What the hell?!"

Kazuko thrashed about in Goten's arms but before she could even realize the full extent to what was happening, they reached the hospital doors.

Goten ran in through the electric doors and instantly remembered Krillin's heart attack. It seemed too soon to be back inside this facility of death, in his mind. He felt a cold chill run down his back when he handed Kazuko to a concerned nurse who looked him over as if she thought that he had hurt her.

Kazuko yelled in pain as her foot touched the floor briefly before being propped up in a wheel chair. He reached forward, as if trying to offer his help, but the nurse shooed him away and wheeled Kazuko down the hallway with the vending machines.

"Goten! Find Mikio!" She called as her voice quickly became more distant.

He sighed and rubbed his forehead.

When he looked up from the floor, he noticed a free phone charging station. He rushed forward and tossed his phone on the conveyer belt-looking device. His battery charged instantly to full capacity and flickered on. He grabbed the phone and began searching through his texts and calls, which revealed nothing more than a goodnight and be safe text from Chichi. He grumbled angrily and turned to leave, but his phone began to vibrate with messages just as he took a step forward.

Help. Help. Help. Help.

There were about ten messages that simply read help from Bra's phone. He froze in place and tried to think of what to do. The phone had suddenly become heavy like a brick in his hands when he dropped it and continued staring forward into space. His mind raced to dark places. Was she kidnapped? Beaten? Raped, even? He began to panic. She's a saiyan, he told himself, and she could kill someone with her bare hands. He panicked further. What if she was drugged? He crouched down and picked up the phone, clumsily dialing her number, but a girly voice quickly began saying "Hey, this is Bra! Leave a message or whatever!" As the tone screeched into his ear begging for a voicemail, a quiet "No..." Escaped from his mouth. He felt a tug on his heart and ran outside, taking off once again into the sky.

He had to get to Capsule Corp and figure this out. How could a night of fun turn out so badly? Where the hell was everyone?

He arrived quickly at the Brief household and flung open the front door. Videl was crying in the corner and Chichi was hysterical with Bulma.

"What the hell?"

Chichi ran forward and threw her arms around him.

"Goten! You're here, you're alive!" She cried into his shirt and he held her tightly.

"Mom…where's…where's dad?" He looked around the room in a panic, "Where's Gohan?" Videl looked up and cried harder. "Pan is gone, too. Vegeta…Trunks…Bra…everyone!"

He scanned from the kitchen to the living room in horror to find Marron sitting on the couch, staring out the window. He pushed Chichi away gently and turned to Marron in fury.

"You were there last night!"

He stomped to her and grabbed her arm.

"What happened? Tell me! Tell me where she is!" He shook her arm around violently, but she pulled away from him.

"Goten, get a hold of yourself! Trunks took me home early, shortly after you and Bra disappeared!"

He threw his fist to his side and looked up at the ceiling.

"So, where did all of the people at the party go?"

His saiyan anger was rising. She bit her lip and clenched the couch beneath her fists.

"They all left early! Cops busted up the place for loud music. I saw Mikio talking to them when we were leaving, but I never saw Bra. We woke up this morning and everything was all over the place and everyone was gone!"

Goten stared at her blankly and began looking around more carefully. The furniture was destroyed, broken into pieces. Shards of glass decorated the hardwood floors with their sharp corners askew. There were holes in the wall and a door in the hallway was hanging on hinges.

"How could this have happened?" Bulma sniffed loudly, "I think that…we were drugged."

Videl cried into her hands again, clearly worried about the baby that she carried being injured by whatever might still be in her system.

The only item in the house that wasn't broken appeared to be the couch that Marron was curled up on. He looked around it, but couldn't see any clues as to what happened. He decided that he'd check around the house, just to be sure.

In his room, his things were tossed about and the blankets were on the floor. He moved to each room, looking for anything that could explain what happened. It was only then that he found a trail of blood leading down the hall and out to the back deck. The same screened in deck that he'd kissed Marron on only a few nights ago. He took a step onto the deck and to his horror, the blood trail ended at a window. The window's screen was bashed through and blood stained every fiber. He backed away feeling sick and held his stomach. He leaned against the wall and coughed once before falling to the floor, inches from the blood trail.

"Where are you?" Goten said in horror.

He thought of his family, of their family...of her. The only thing that he'd wanted in so long was the blue-haired, saiyan girl he'd grown up knowing. So much time wasted, he thought. He decided that he'd have to be the one to save them. It was all up to him now.


	18. The Archaiyans

The air smelled of fresh rain as a cool breeze swept across her face. She opened her eyes to a tall man in front of her holding out his arms, inviting her in. His smile was warm like the sun. She could feel his touch on her arm and could smell his wonderful scent when he pulled her close to his strong chest. She laughed and he kissed the top of her head, running his fingers through her silky, blue hair. She felt so happy and relieved when she looked up and saw his lips mouth the words, "I love you." Her heart was about to burst with joy. She opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out.

His smile ceased and turned to a sad frown. He began to move away, further and further into a darkness that engulfed him. She saw tears run down his cheeks and he reached for her, but she couldn't reach for him. She wanted to scream, but she couldn't breathe.

"Goten!" Bra screamed loudly as she woke from a deep sleep.

She jolted forward, but her arms were chained above her head and her efforts to struggle seemed futile.

"What the hell?"

She gained her footing and looked up at the chains.

"What kind of sick…"

She trailed off when she looked up and saw her brother across from her. He was also chained, but limp and on his knees, only held up by his chained arms. She began to panic and looked frantically around the room. It was dark, but light from the window hinted at an early morning sun just outside the walls. Cement blocks stained from time surrounded her and led her eyes down to a filthy floor lined with old and beaten stones. She let out a horrified gasp when she raised her eyes and saw Pan, Gohan, Vegeta and Goku all chained the same way that she was. There was a small man who resembled Vegeta in the corner as well, but she didn't recognize him. Her eyes returned to her tattered brother.

"Trunks!" She called out to him, but there was no movement or response from anyone else in the room.

His clothes appeared to be torn and bloody, as though he'd put up a real fight. Panic began to fill her lungs as she thrashed about and pulled on her metal prison. Her clothes were also tattered and her wrists were bloody from the ancient looking cuffs around them.

"What do you want?" She screamed to the old, wooden door at the opposite side of the room, "Let us go! We will kill you!"

She pulled and pulled on her cuffs but nothing but dirt and rubble falling from the ceiling appeared to be happening.

Just then, the door opened. A large man with a black cloth over his head walked in, followed by a man in a wheelchair with no legs. The large man began to wake everyone up by smacking them hard across the face, each time appearing to get more aggressive. The man in the wheelchair laughed as they awoke angrily.

"What in the hell? Lay another filthy hand on me and you'll regret you were ever born!"

Vegeta angrily spit in the man's face and instantly turned super saiyan, thrashing about just as Bra had done.

Trunks looked at Bra and weakly coughed. He really did appear to have been the only one that truly put up a fight. Perhaps he was the only one conscious when it happened. He looked at Vegeta, but froze when his eyes landed on the small man in the back.

"Uncle Tarble?"

The small man looked up and realized what was happening.

"Where…where is my wife? Where is Gure? What have you done with her?"

The man in the wheelchair laughed loudly as the large man returned to his side.

"I have disposed of the creature that accompanied you to my doorstep, Tarble. She did not have any use to our grand plan."

Tarble's eyes welled with tears and he slumped down to his knees, hanging from his cuffs.

"You…you bastard!"

Vegeta stopped thrashing and growled, "Tell us what you want!"

Bra realized that the small man was in fact the younger brother to her father that had been mentioned from time to time. She felt sad inside when she realized that if they'd killed her aunt, they could have killed her mother and family as well.

The feeble old man cleared his throat.

"I am Oca. King Oca of the saiyan race."

Vegeta's eyes grew large and the anger boiled within him.

"Oca! You were thought dead! What business do you think that you have taking our royal name?"

Oca smiled deviously, "Oh, Vegeta…but it was your father who stole the royal title from me, not me from him. You have no idea about your pitiful reign's history."

Vegeta's eyes burned with anger.

"Vegeta, try to stay calm, he's trying to get you angry." Goku said softly, clearly afraid that Vegeta was going to cave the ceiling in if he pulled on his chains any harder.

Oca sighed, "Kakarot, or on Earth known as Goku, son of Bardock…what pride Bardock would have had in you if he could have seen the magnificent warrior that you became. Unfortunately, you never lived up to the potential of a saiyan warrior. As pure saiyans, the three of you disgust me…defending your pitiful planets just because you mated with the inhabitants and created these interesting abominations."

Gohan and Trunks tensed for a fight, but Bra looked anxiously at Pan with tears in her eyes.

Oca looked around, confused.

"Lan, there should be another here. Kakarot has two boys. Where is the tall, stupid one?"

Bra's glance shot angrily to Oca.

"Oh, so you belong to Goten? This one seems protective of your younger boy, Kakarot. That's a good thought, keeping your saiyan blood alive by mixing two half breeds. I was a little worried at first when we got her test results. It might not have worked otherwise…this explains everything."

Vegeta's mouth fell open before he scoffed angrily.

"Well, no worries. We'll find him. I suppose you're all wondering what you're doing here…I'll tell you."

He pushed a small knob on his wheelchair forward and moved to the middle of the dungeon-like room, revealing to them all that he actually had a saiyan tail tucked around his waist.

"I am a true saiyan. I have destroyed planets, I have destroyed people…I am the ultimate warrior. Or I was, until one of you cut off my legs and crippled my strength. I have since become weak and unable to care for myself. It's pathetic really."

Tarble began to tremble, revealing that it had been him who took the legs from another saiyan.

"It was many years ago, Tarble. Perhaps your greatest accomplishment before you became a recluse and let your strength dwindle to nothing."

He turned the chair around to face Pan, "But then I found your planet and your…children. I did not realize that we could mate with other species and create such powerful offspring. I also never considered it an option, as it is rather disgusting."

Pan frowned angrily, "I am stronger than you could ever hope to be no matter how much saiyan blood runs through my veins!"

Gohan hushed her, but her confidence was unshaken.

"I am aware that you are a quarter-blood. This is interesting, which is why you are all here. I hope to create a super race. I have access to technology that your creature, Bulma, doesn't even know about."

Vegeta, Bra and Trunks gasped as they heard him say her name.

"I will control this race and soon take my place as rightful king. They will worship me and carry out any command that I wish. I will find favor and strike fear into the hearts of the powerful warriors from our multiple universes. It will be perfect. I will wipe out your saiyan race easily seeing as all but one of you are in this very room. I could kill you at any moment, but first, I must experiment with your DNA. From you will come a new and powerful race, the archaiyans."

Everyone gasped, realizing the horrifying truth.

He turned his chair and began to exit the room.

"We'll find Goten Son. Until then, please make yourselves comfortable. I will return soon to take my first experiment in."

Oca and Lan left the room, leaving the seven saiyans alone in the dungeon once more.


	19. Conflicting Thoughts

As Goten stood looking out the kitchen window listening to Videl, Chichi and Marron sob, he felt his soul crying out. Something inside of his heart was telling him where to go, but he didn't know how to follow it. His wrists began to ache. He peered down at them and rubbed them gently, but the pain didn't go away. He grumbled and slammed his hands down on the sink, startling the three women.

"I'm going to find them. I think I know what to do. I'll call you if I find anything…" Goten snapped, storming away and out the front door.

He blasted off towards Mikio's house to see if he could find any trace of where everyone seemed to have disappeared to. It was only logical. Something had to be left there that would give him a clue as to where they were holding Bra and his family.

As he flew, he pictured the gruesome scene inside of Bulma's house on the back deck. He hopped his mother hadn't seen it yet. He hated the sight of blood, let alone the blood of what he thought could be any of the saiyans he called family.

"Hey! Wait up!"

Goten stopped midair and turned to see who was calling for him. Marron was blasting towards him at full speed. Her expression had changed from sadness to anger.

"What are you doing? You fly too slow…you're gonna slow me down."

"I can't just sit there and wait for you to come back, because if you don't…well I don't know what I'd do."

"Are you serious right now?"

"I'm seriously concerned that your father and Trunks, along with the rest of our family, has disappeared into thin air."

"I don't know what you think you can do to help. You can't even fight…If something breaks out, you gotta go and protect mom and Bulma. You can't help me if it comes to that."

"I know."

Goten turned to continue his flight, but Marron piped up with one more addition.

"Goten?"

"What, Marron? We gotta go!"

"It's just…I didn't sleep with Trunks. I haven't. It's not like that…right now."

"Okay?"

"I just wanted to clear that up. You're…my first and only…if you know what I mean."

Goten rolled his eyes and continued flying. He felt satisfied knowing the truth, but couldn't bring himself to lie to her about Bra. She probably already assumed. It was best left alone.

Marron knew Goten, or at least the person that he had been for his entire life. She could see that he was changing into a different person. It wasn't that she thought he was turning into a bad person, but another side of him was surfacing. He was so wounded deep inside by so many things that it was as though he thought everyone was out to get him. He probably truly believed that it was his fault that his family was taken. She decided talking about anything other than the task at hand was a bad idea until they recovered their loved ones.

When they arrived outside of Mikio's house, Goten landed lightly on the pavement. Marron crashed down beside him.

"God! Did you forget how to land?"

"Yeah. Sorta."

Goten scoffed.

"I'll go in. You just stay here until I give you the all clear. Remember…if shit gets bad, you run. You run and you tell Bulma and my mom to hide. They'll be your responsibility."

Marron nodded and walked over to a tree to lean against.

Goten stopped on the sidewalk up to the porch. He stared at the white siding and decided he should check for any signs of life before going inside. It wasn't easy, especially checking for normal human ki, but he was trained in the art of sensing ki. Gohan made sure of that.

"What are you doing?" Marron asked from her tree.

"Shh! I'm trying to concentrate."

He closed his eyes and relaxed his muscles. He let his hands fall to his sides and took in a deep breath of air. He lit up with the aura of his own energy and tried to send it outwards, into the yard. He felt around in the dark space, seeing the energy of nature and technology as colors amidst a sea of nothingness. They twisted and turned differently than the energy of a person. It was actually a beautiful sight.

He sent his energy into the house and pushed it through each room. He began to concentrate even harder. He was getting frustrated. There was simply no sign of life ever being there, let alone anyone left. It was as though the place was wiped clean of any evidence.

Just as he was about to give up hope, a jolt of energy surfaced through all of the energy waves and appeared red in color, something indicative of someone who had been gravely injured. He couldn't tell who it belonged to, but he ran forward in its direction without hesitation.

"Bra!"

He yelled as he ran as fast as his feet could take him. He entered the woods behind the house and looked frantically around. Inside of his mind, he could see the energy flicker, as though it was dying. He didn't have very much time to find whoever it was. His wrists suddenly burned again, only this time they were hotter and more painful. He felt like he could actually see welts beginning to appear around his pale wrists. Panic was setting in.

"Bra!"

He took off towards the feeling of pain. It was a strange sensation, one he could only remember feeling when he was about to lose his father for the first time after meeting him. He didn't want to be abandoned again. He didn't want to lose her, too.

"Bra!"

He called again, panicked and out of breath.

"Help…me!"

He heard a small voice call from nearby. It wasn't Bra's voice.

"Mi…mikio?" Goten yelled back in surprise.

He heard a rustle of some leaves and ran towards them. There, Mikio was on his back and clearly near death. Goten rushed forward and picked his head up from the dirt.

"What happened? God…we need to get you to the hospital!"

Mikio laughed at Goten's urgency.

"I'll be okay. I'll live. I'm like you, Goten. I can…make it…"

His eyes glazed and he lost consciousness. What did he mean, like Goten?

"Mikio!"

Goten began to scoop him up into his arms when Marron came running towards them.

"Goten! Is he okay? Oh, God!"

He was covered in blood and the sight horrified them both.

"It's okay, he's alive…we have to get him to a hospital. I'm going."

He kicked off of the ground and blasted off towards the city, causing Marron to fall backwards from his energy.

"Oh…kay…" She whispered as she watched his silhouette disappear into nothing.

Alone and afraid, Marron looked around the dark woods nervously. She turned towards the house and decided to have a look without Goten. She was confident that she could defend herself if she really needed to. She thought of her father and felt sick inside. She wished that he was still here to protect her and her mother. She felt a rush of grief coming, like a wave in the ocean about to hit the side of a cliff, and stifled the feeling. Now was no time for another stage of her grief to surface, she thought. It was time to help their friends find a way home.

She started crunching her way through the woods and back to the house. The back deck was covered in beer and solo cups from the party, as though everyone was still passed out inside and hadn't cleaned up yet. The house being empty was simply unnerving. She slid the unlocked glass door open and walked inside, carefully shutting the door behind her as if someone might hear her. She tip-toed past the kitchen and into the living room and sat down on the black, leather sofa. She envisioned what she saw that night with Goten and Bra sitting together and cuddling. She felt a jealous pang hit her like a ton of bricks. Why did he choose Bra over her? Why was their relationship such a complete and utter failure?

She sighed. Maybe they were just not meant to be.

In her self-pity, she quickly realized the most important fact in all of this. She hadn't thought about Trunks since they left Capsule Corp. Did she even really have feelings for him? It felt like he was just another body that they had to rescue, not that he was any more important than Goku or any of the other saiyans that had been taken. She leaned forward and put her face in her hands. Was it just appealing to date such a rich and powerful man? Was it just nice to have constant attention after being ignored by Goten for so long? Tears started to stream down her face.

She plopped back against the back of the couch and sunk into the plush leather. That's when she noticed a glass still partially full on the table. It had been Bra's drink the night before. She picked it up and looked into the green liquid, still fizzing from the bottom.

"That's odd…" she whispered to herself as she examined the contents carefully.

She decided it was a good idea to take the drink back to Bulma. Perhaps they could figure out if it was really a drug or something else. She rose from the couch and clutched the cup tightly. This could be their ticket to some answers.

Mikio's face flashed across Marron's recent memories and she heard his last words in her head.

"I'm like you, Goten."

She scrunched her face and considered the possibilities. There was no way that he was a saiyan, too. That was just silly. She pushed the idea out of her mind and started out the front door. She had to get to the bottom of this and figure out where everyone was, if not for any other reason but to decide how she really felt about Trunks and if she could finally, once and for all, get over Goten.


	20. Rise Reprise

Back at Capsule Corp, Bulma began to test the drink that Marron brought back. She was only in her lab for a half hour before coming out with a very disturbed look on her face.

"I think…I think it's a type of poison."

Bulma said grimly. Videl gasped and placed a hand over her stomach, but Bulma shook her head.

"I think that it only effects your cognitive awareness. In other words, it only effects your ability to remember what's going on. It seems like it's from another planet. Some type of plant material is the main ingredient."

She leaned against the countertop in the kitchen and sighed.

"I'm worried. And I'm scared. If this stuff could knock out Goku and Vegeta…and allow someone to take them…and my kids…" Bulma began to tear up again.

Chichi looked up with an irritated frown, "Bulma! You're supposed to keep a level head! Our husbands have faced some of the most horrific and powerful opponents…none of which could have been powerful enough to subdue them all at once. There has to be a loop-hole here that we aren't seeing…"

Bulma scoffed, "You think I'm supposed to keep it together for you? They have my husband and my children!"

Chichi stood up from the table, "They have my husband, child and grandchild!"

They crossed their arms and stomped to separate rooms. Videl leaned on the table and placed her head in her hands, crying softly.

"I just want everyone to be okay…this little girl or boy needs their family. And Goku just came back…what if this is it? What if we'll never see them again?"

Videl began to get hysterical, so Marron scooted over to her and hugged her tightly.

"It's okay. If anyone can find them, Goten can."

She marveled at the temperament of her own words. So calm for such a flustered mind, she thought. Just then, the door opened and Goten stepped through.

"Oh, my God!" Videl pointed in horror at the blood covering Goten's hands and shirt.

"No, no! I'm fine! It's not mine!"

Videl's face contorted at his words. He realized she must have thought that he was in a fight.

"No! I mean I found my friend all beat up and took him to the hospital! I didn't hurt anyone!"

She relaxed and let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Your mom is a wreck. Her and Bulma just had a fight." Marron said calmly.

Goten frowned, "Now of all times?"

He rolled his eyes and sat at the table, two seats away from Marron.

"So, Mikio said this huge guy with a black mask attacked him. He said everyone started dropping on the floor, passing out. There was this big vibration and what thought was a spaceship landed in the yard. The big guy came in and took Bra first, because she was… hanging onto the railing trying to run down the stairs."

Goten swallowed hard and tried to keep going. Marron stared at him sadly.

"Trunks had already left, so he must've been taken here…that explains the blood in the back room."

Marron looked confused.

"Blood?"

Goten sighed, "Yeah…don't go back out on that deck for now."

Marron's eyes got huge.

"So what do you think Mikio meant by 'I'm like you'?"

He looked up at the ceiling and leaned back in his chair, placing his arms crossed behind his head.

"I think…I think he meant he's a saiyan. At least partly. I'd never felt it before, the energy that I got from him was way stronger than human energy."

Videl rose her head and looked stunned.

"I knew he was adopted, so maybe it was a similar situation to my dad. You know, finding him abandoned somewhere? I don't really know." Goten continued, seemingly unfazed by his own words. "He said he hid in the closet until they found him, beat him to a pulp and left him. I guess they only had a target out for our families."

Marron gulped and looked at her intertwined fingers.

"I'm sorry to poke the bear, but if Bra, Trunks and Gohan were taken…why weren't you?"

He leaned forward and started tapping his fingers on his leg impatiently.

"I was passed out from drinking too much already. They couldn't sense that I was even there because I was already unconscious upstairs. I know I fell off of the bed at some point that night, so maybe that was when they landed. I think I hit my head pretty hard…maybe they even thought that I was dead."

Just as all hope seemed lost, Goten's cell phone started to ring. He pulled out his phone and answered without reading the number. His face lit up with concern.

"Who is it?" Marron asked, but Goten swished his hand at her and got up from the table.

She rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Yeah, we're all okay, but what about you?...Oh…Oh?"

Goten paced around, rubbing his wrist and looking frazzled. When he hung up the phone, he immediately started for the front door without saying anything.

"Goten! What happened?"

Marron was getting frustrated with his lack of communication, though that wasn't anything knew for Goten.

"It was Mikio. He said Kazuko had his phone last night. Someone called it during the party looking for him, but she didn't give him the phone. It was a strange number, but he just tracked it and it came from some warehouse down south of the city."

Bulma emerged from the hallway just as he was explaining and quickly chimed in, "How the hell does he know that if he's in the hospital?"

Goten sighed, "Well…okay I had some senzu beans on me and revived him as soon as I had the chance. I was in a panic at the house and just forgot. I also got some pretty questionable looks when I brought Kazuko in…it would be pretty freaking weird if I brought Mikio in on the same day looking even worse. He's back home now."

Bulma looked confused, "That still doesn't explain how he could track a device…"

Goten smiled, "He's a total computer genius. He can track anything. Besides, I think he really is at least part saiyan. It explains a lot about our childhood anyway..."

Bulma practically fell to the floor with shock.

"What? Another saiyan? Why didn't they take him, too? Why is it always our family?"

Goten shrugged, "We don't know. He's probably not trained, either…maybe they couldn't even tell."

"Well, are you going to this warehouse?" Bulma asked Goten excitedly.

Goten nodded, "Yes. I'm going. And you're not!"

He turned and pointed at Marron. She had already been starting to stand up, so she slowly lowered herself back down into her chair and sulked.

"Be careful, Goten. Bring them back to us…" Videl said softly, hugging Goten tightly.

He patted her head and smiled, "Have I ever let you down, sis?"

She laughed, thinking of her memories of Goten when he was just a little boy.

He hugged Bulma, but she pushed him away quickly and turned to call down the hallway.

"Chichi! Get out here and say goodbye to your son!"

Chichi flung her door open and sniffled.

"Oh, Goten…please bring them back to me!" She threw herself into his arms and held on tightly.

"Mom…it'll be okay."

He waved and headed for the lawn. He kicked off and hit the air hard, ready for anything.

Lost in his thoughts, it seemed like the flight was over before it started. His watch beeped when he hit the location and he dropped a few feet to hover and observe. He couldn't see anything, but he could certainly sense someone powerful.

"That's not you…is it dad…" Goten whispered to himself. He started to worry about his father, realizing that the last time he saw him was less than pleasant.

He landed on top of the roof and was very careful to hide his own power level. He figured that the people that had him were able to read ki as well. He tip-toed across the roof and found a door that was locked with a padlock.

"Ha…okay…" Goten chuckled.

He held the padlock in his left hand and chopped it with his right, snapping it in half like a twig. He tossed the lock aside and opened the old door slowly. He stepped inside and looked around, feeling as though he could be attacked at any minute. He'd never felt more on edge.

In front of him, a dark, rusty staircase led down into darkness. He felt like he was entering a medieval cave. With every step into the darkness, he felt the stone beneath him cringing to give way. It had clearly not been stepped on in a long time. A rat crawled across his feet, giving him a cold chill down his spine and caused him to squirm down several steps without thinking. That's when he felt it.

A very high ki level was approaching him, and fast. He looked around in the darkness but figured that flying up would be useless and expose him, so he continued to edge his way down practically flat against the wall.

"Who's there?" A voice called from afar, but Goten held his breath.

The footsteps started coming closer, and Goten was ready to attack. He tensed and moved into position, but just before he lunged, another voice called out.

"What are you doing? Master wants us to start with experiment one now. Something about a girl with blue hair. Imagine, a saiyan with blue hair."

The two surly voices laughed together and began to leave, but Goten's anger was beyond controllable. He felt his energy spike and the footsteps stopped again.

"Did you feel that?" A low voice asked. There was a slight pause before a raspy voice answered, "I felt it. Someone is here."

Goten couldn't wait any longer and powered up for the attack.

He shot forward down the stairs and found the two men instantly. He began punching them with all of his fury and pushing his way forward. The men were holding their ground, clearly not human fighters.

"Calm down boy, you'll use all of your strength up and we won't be able to play!" The raspy voice said with a laugh, but Goten didn't let up.

His super saiyan form glowed like fire and lit the entire hall. The stairs ended in a large room, clearly underground as there were no windows. The floors cracked under the fight and the walls shook with echoes.

"I said…that's enough!" The raspy voice powered up and knocked Goten backwards against the wall.

"You've been a bad boy!" The lower of the two voices said playfully, "Master will have fun experimenting on you!"

The men were both wearing black cloaks and had muscles on top of muscles on top of muscles. Goten was beginning to wish he would have waited. He lunged forward for another attack, but something from behind swooped down and hit him on the back of the head, knocking him unconscious.


	21. Knives on the Wall

The room was spinning when the voices of the strange guards blurred together in Goten's head. It felt like a rush of speed was filling up inside his head and begging him to stay down.

He struggled to open his eyes, but they kept closing. The fight to see his surroundings seemed just as exhausting as the physical altercations had been moments earlier. He tried to move, but he could feel the cold stone below him and took comfort in the sleepy feeling. It felt so good to sleep, he thought as his head began to pound in agony.

After a while, he could hear the voices more clearly as they were laughing and talking about what they were going to do to him. They contemplated chopping off his limbs so that he could feel the pain that his friend inflicted upon someone named Oca. He wondered who that person might be and cringed at the thought of someone chopping off a limb. He even briefly considered if an arm or a leg would be a more horrible loss, deciding that if he had a choice, he would rather lose his legs. At least he could still fly, though he would miss the height that he always had over everyone else. His tired mind began to wander until he came to a memory from the party that had gone awry.

Bra was standing in front of him in her heels and an outfit to die for. She flipped her hair away from her face and smiled. He loved that smile. He reached out for her and she came close, nuzzling against his chest. She smelled like candy and fruit mixed together into a mysterious basket of yummy scents. He leaned down to kiss her pale face, but she pulled away and poked him on the tip of his nose.

"Makeup!"

She smiled and kissed her finger before placing it on his lips. He treasured moments like those with her. He wanted to have more moments of joy with that amazing woman. He didn't have time to lay there and sleep while some crazy people chopped him up like mincemeat.

A cold, morbid chill ran down his back and all the way down to his toes as he snapped out of his daydream and opened his eyes. He heard the raspy voice croak, "Say, do you think he's claimed the blue-haired girl yet? She got pretty upset when we talked of killing him in front of her."

The other voice coughed out an evil laugh, "I doubt that he has the balls to claim a woman. Of course, they say it is involuntary who you mark as your mate. But that's a purebred saiyan…this kid is nothing more than an abomination, just like the girl, which is why we must destroy him and his other…disgusting counterparts. Who knows if that's actually what's going on there. We should get back and get started on her before she does something stupid out of obsession for this sorry excuse for a saiyan. She's just about ripped her hands off on those cuffs" The men laughed maniacally.

Panicked, Goten began to rise slowly as they were both seated on the floor trying to recover from his furious outburst. A third man was now standing aside, not speaking, but looking in the other direction. His face was covered as well, but his body was lean and less bulky than the other two guards. His physique distinctly reminded Goten of super Buu, a thought that covered Goten's arms in goose bumps at the very instant he realized the similarities.

Thinking on their conversation, Goten remembered the bite from the night at the club. Was it really something to claim the other person? Mating? It wasn't just some freaky display, it actually had purpose? His mind raced as the men began to walk towards him, still talking casually. That must be why Bulma always wore neck scarfs when she first married Vegeta, he thought. He remembered how Trunks used to make fun of them, saying she never took them off and was obsessed with them. Then he thought of his own mother and fighting back the urge to reel at the idea, he remembered her wardrobe. Constant turtle neck dresses could hide her secret, as well. It made sense.

He tried to move again, but the feeling of cool stone against his cheek continued to pull him in like a magnet. He just couldn't unstick his beaten body from the desperate situation that he was in.

The dark room was brooding and disturbing the more that Goten thought of dying there on the floor. He started to wiggle his fingers and soon was able to make a fist. Yes, he thought, keep trying. He started to move his arm, straining as he went, until it happened. His arm flew from its frozen state and his hand landed flat down onto the hard surface of the floor.

"He's awake already!" The grisly, raspy voice growled.

Goten heard the footsteps stop, but he knew that they would strike at any second to gain the upper hand. He pushed himself up onto his waist and yelled in anger as he saw the guards begin to move in slow motion towards him. This battle was his to win. He had to find the strength.

Goten gave a huge thrust upwards and fell back, bursting into super saiyan flames as he roared in anger. The men stopped running, startled by his colossal jump in strength.

"I thought you said that Gohan was the stronger brother…this one's power is substantial!" The lower voice called out.

The raspy voice didn't answer, they only stood there in fear while guard number three continued to hold his post against the wall.

Goten yelled angrily, "This will not continue! I am not going to let you destroy my family!"

He began to power up for a massive energy blast. His skin glowed like fire and his body tensed as he lowered his head and began to power up. His aura lit the entire room so bright that the guards had to shield their hidden eyes. There was nowhere in the circular stone room to run but back up the staircase that Goten was standing in front of.

"You won't be able to stop us!" One guard said as he pointed angrily at Goten.

Goten laughed as the feeling of energy flowing through his body transferred to his hands. In moments, he began to recite his Kame-hame-ha and released the anger flushing through his body. The room filled with white lights and began to shake uncontrollably. It went up in flames like a match and shook the ground with hastened fury. Goten continued screaming as the room began to fall, rock by rock, on top of the two guards. Before Goten could even blink, he saw the third man slip from the room and through a secret door in the back of the room.

"You won't get away from me!" Goten called after him, but the man was gone.

He landed inches from the impact of his blast as the ground continued to shake. He pulled together all of his strength and blasted again, aiming directly for the door. The rocks disintegrated under his massive power. He forced his way forward as his blast continued to destroy. He turned to the entire exit and realized that it had collapsed from his energy. He laughed under his breath, thinking to himself that he would just have to blast a way out again.

He smiled a devious smirk as he felt the ground below him crack and pop as he walked over the debris on top of the now dead guards. Nothing could stop him now. An angry saiyan is a destructive saiyan, and he felt more powerful than he'd ever been.

He let his body return to normal state as he snuck through the narrow hallway. The ceiling was still shaky with small rocks hitting his head from the enormity of his previous blows. Though the archaic hallway was dimly lit with torches, again giving the feeling that they had teleported back in time, he couldn't see very well past each flame.

He reached into his pocket for his phone light, but considered the chances that it could make him more discoverable and turned it off again. He stopped for a moment to listen carefully to the silence all around him. It seemed like he was the only person there in that cold, desolate hallway. The distant sound of frequent cave dripping echoed throughout on top of the soft sound of fire burning within the small gauntlets that lined the stone walls. He began to walk again, cautiously muting his every step with a roll of the heel.

As he reached the end of the hallway, another wooden door appeared before him. He looked behind him, as though checking for a follower, but confidently assumed that no one would be following him right now after his massive explosion in the round room.

As he reached for the old, rusty door knob, his mind was clear of worries about what might lay just beyond the stone fortress. He was fearless and ready, turning the knob carefully to avoid being heard. When he cracked open the door, quickly and noisily, a blinding white light caught him off guard. He shielded his eyes, but kept pushing forward.

It seemed as though he'd found himself in a laboratory of some kind. It was sterile and lit with bright, fluorescent lights above. The instruments on the blank, white wall were disturbing in nature to Goten. He saw not just surgical instruments like knives and scissors, but what appeared to be a large rib spreader caught his eye immediately. He rushed to the counter, looking over the instruments carefully for something he could take along with him for extra protection.

The small saws and pointy metal objects worried him. He touched them and felt their cold, hard surfaces come to a pointy tip. His eyes were lit up with wonder in partial because he had always dreamed of becoming a surgeon. What had he been thinking? These tools were terrifying. There was no way he could willingly cut into an innocent person's flesh with them.

He grabbed a small scalpel, capable of a good puncture wound, and stuck it into his back pocket after dusting off some debris and dust from his clothes. He regretted at that moment for wearing semi-skinny jeans…there was only just enough room to hide such a sharp object without being stabbed himself.

He turned to find a door, but it seemed as though there were none. Perhaps the hallway was the only way in from the destroyed circular room and staircase. A small amount of panic flooded over him.

"Where are you guys…?" He whispered to himself.

He continued to circle the room, looking for something, anything, to tell him where to go. His sense of direction was never great, but he was starting to feel as though he was in the wrong place.

Disappointed, he decided to see if he missed a turn in the hallway. He quickly spun around to leave and knocked a framed picture of various insect-like creatures and their anatomy off of the wall. He froze momentarily, afraid that someone may have heard, but noticed that a hole the size of a fist was hidden behind the picture's place on the wall. He rushed to it and peered through, hoping to get some answers.

A dark room again lit by fire torches and lined in stone was before him. Inside, helpless victims hung from their wrists, strung up like meat. They'd been beaten badly and were all gravely injured. His eyes first saw Vegeta and a man that Goten remembered to be named Tarble tied together and hung on the same chain. An emblem of some kind hung from their necks. It looked to be a type of spear in red with small markings. They also both bore crowns on top of their heads with blood smeared onto the front.

He then saw Goku and Gohan tied next to Pan, all unconscious and bleeding badly, especially from their wrists. Gohan's eye was swollen shut and Pan's clothes were partially ripped. Goten closed his eyes in pain and mentally prepared to blast his way into the ancient prison room at that moment. However, his eyes traveled further first. What he saw next threw his mind into a complete and total state of rage.


	22. A Powerful Cry

Her body was beaten and clothes ripped, barely covering her. She hung facing Goten, with a badly beaten Trunks behind her facing the other direction. Her body was lifeless and still, but her eyes drifted about slowly. Goten could tell that they'd given her some type of drug.

Her mouth hung open as though she'd just been surprised, causing her face to look long and horrified. Her wrists were still bleeding profusely from the chains and she was just short enough that only the tips of her bare toes touched the ground. He could even see her red nail polish glistening in the dim light of the fires.

He looked down at his own wrists and back to hers. Was the tingling pain sensation he was feeling all day linked to her hand cuffs?

He backed away from the hole in horror and began to feel as though he could no longer control himself. He rose his power level again, preparing to blow through the stark, white wall. As he assumed his position, a door clanked from inside the room. He quickly shot his power level down and returned to the hole to observe the unknown person move about the stone room.

A stealthy, cloaked man slid around the room checking everyone's pulse. The robe he wore dragged behind him as he quickly moved from saiyan to saiyan, checking their pulse at their wrist and writing a brief note on a notepad with a fancy pen. He continued until he reached Bra, who began to seize as soon as he touched her skin.

"Oca! We're losing this one!" The man called towards the open doorway. "I need to take her now!"

The man began undoing her bulky handcuffs and let her fall to the floor, surely breaking at least one bone in the process. Goten watched, petrified, as the man simply took notes instead of helping her. She shook violently and began to foam at the mouth.

"What the hell are you doing? Save her!" Trunks pleaded through his swollen face, tears streaming down his cheeks and veins apparent on his neck.

Vegeta watched on through wide open eyes, unable to speak or move. It looked like his jaw might be broken. A sad mumble escaped from his tortured lips and tears welled in his eyes. Goten had never seen Vegeta more helpless.

Bra stopped seizing after a few long and painful moments. She laid there motionless and barely breathing as the man finished taking his notes.

"Okay, I'm coming!" The man called again to the dark doorway.

This time a legless man entered the room in a wheelchair, slowly approaching and smiling as he went. He looked around at the hanging bodies, all terrified from the event that had just occurred, and clapped his hands together, startling the onlookers.

He seemed delighted at the sight of Bra and chirped, "Well, one more dose will probably kill her at this point. Looks like we'll have to move on to the next girl…Pan, isn't it?

He turned and pointed to Pan, who began to cry and shake against her father's back. Gohan shouted a slurred phrase, probably intending to sound angry, but it wasn't coherent. The man named Oca coughed out a diabolical laugh and shrugged.

"Or we could use Gohan Son, here."

He moved towards the Sons, leaving Bra on the floor half-dead underneath a suspended Trunks.

Goten had seen enough. He took a few steps back and felt his anger building up inside of him. It was a powerful force, boiling below his skin like he was a human cauldron about to overflow. His eyes flickered between black and green as his skin began to glow with fire.

"I will….kill you all!"

The dam burst inside of his soul. His muscles pumped outwards, his body tensed and grew in mass, and his hair stood on end in a bright yellow. His super saiyan flames engulfed the area around him and he released a powerful blast directly at the man in the wheelchair, destroying the wall separating them and sending Oca backwards.

Goten screamed and kicked off into the air straight for him.

"Master!" The cloaked man stood in front of Oca, ready to die to protect him.

Goten grabbed the man at the throat and threw him from the stone room and into the dark hallway, lodging him into the wall. He scraped his feet against the floor and assumed a fighting position.

"I know that you are not helpless. Come at me. I will make you pay for this!"

He powered up and filled the room with his energy flames.

Oca looked up at him, twisting his face into a most evil smile.

"Ah…the second son appears. I knew you would find us here…" He paused and rubbed his chin inquisitively. "So, you think that you can kill me and it'll be done? We got what we needed from these pitiful excuses for saiyans…my experiments were successful! Even if you kill me, my progenies will arise and take this sad little planet for their own. I have created a new race, more powerful than saiyans! I have won, regardless of what you do to me!"

Goten frowned deeply and launched forward, crushing the man's head into the wall with his fist.

"Goten!" Goku called out in horror, "Goten, calm down!"

Goten's eyes fixated on the crushed man in front of him. He couldn't feel remorse and he couldn't feel pain. He had to get them out and fast. He could still feel life energy elsewhere in the stone fortress, and he was sure that he would easily kill anyone in his path.

"Goten!"

Pan pleaded for Goten to turn to her. He felt a twinge of emotion. He quickly ran to them, crushing every chain with his bare hands.

"I have senzu beans."

Goten reached into his pocket and produced a small velvet bag containing the magical bean that could cure all bodily ailments.

"Take these. Get Bra out of here. I'm taking this place down!"

Goku took the bag and provided the others with beans. As they started to recover, Vegeta glared at Goten, cracking his now healing jaw back into place loudly.

"Your boy did it, Kakarott. Super saiyan 3 without fusion…it's impressive."

Goten hadn't realized how powerful he'd become. He looked behind him and saw the trail of long, golden hair spiking out from behind him. He'd finally done what he'd only been able to accomplish with Trunks. Though he felt proud of himself, his frown didn't falter. He nodded in appreciation to Vegeta.

As they all tried to recover mentally, Goten's patience was running thin.

"Get her out of here, Trunks."

Trunks looked confused.

"How? How can we get out?"

Goten sighed and looked up at the ceiling. He glanced around the room and got their attention.

"Get ready!" He braced himself and began to say the words.

"Ka…" Goku grabbed Pan into his arms.

"Me…." Trunks picked up Bra delicately and rushed towards his father and uncle.

"Ha…." Vegeta motioned for Tarble to be ready for flight.

"Me…." Gohan watched his brother proudly, ready to sprint.

"Ha!"

A huge blast burst into flames and engulfed the entire ceiling, swallowing it whole and collapsing the foundation.

"Go, go, go!" Goten hollered to his comrades.

As they all jumped into the empty space filled with Goten's raw power, he stayed put, still controlling the ball of energy flames and tearing the entire place apart. He screamed in anger, in fury…he was out of control.

Goku realized in that moment just how much pain Goten was harboring. His reaction to the situation was even greater than Gohan's bursts of anger as a child, who until now was thought to be the most powerful of them all. He could hear his youngest son screaming at the top of his lungs as the building, now far below them, was completely disintegrating into thin air.

Gohan stopped flying and turned towards the burning rubble.

"Goten!" He pleaded, tears falling from his wide and frightened eyes.

Trunks stopped and looked down at his lifeless sister.

"The bean isn't working for her…she's not recovering!"

Vegeta grabbed her from his son and flew off into the sky at full speed, followed by Trunks eagerly. He wasn't going to wait for anyone, even if Goten saved him from certain death.

"I…I can't leave him!" Gohan yelled to Goku.

"We have to go, Gohan! He will be okay, he'll be with us soon!" He angrily grabbed onto Gohan's arm, "We've gotta go!"

Gohan forcefully shoved Goku back, "I raised him! His anger, his rage…it could be the death of him down there! I have to wait for him!"

Goku realized that he couldn't win the fight and relaxed, holding onto a weak Pan tightly.

"Uncle Goten!" Pan called out sadly, crying hard and worried sick.

Goten was still inside the building as it came down around him. Rocks began to pile up on top of him, but his power was too great and dissolved any debris instantly. He continued screaming, fists tightly clenched in the air at his sides. He let it all out at once, finally feeling like he was completely in control, until the building that used to stand in his place was a massive hole in the ground without a trace of life or substance.

He lowered his arms, losing his form and returning to normal state. He fell to his knees and panted heavily, gasping for air and feeling every inch of his body scream in exhaustion. He looked up and saw his family above. Goku and Gohan were still there, hovering and waiting.

His heart broke under all of the emotions and the tears came rushing to the surface like an uncontrollable tsunami.


	23. Head Rush

The sky was beginning to grow dim with clouds as another thunderstorm approached. Gohan looked off into the distance and sighed.

"I'm not sure how long he's planning on staying down there. I'm afraid to go to him, but I'm afraid to leave him."

He frowned and ran his large hands through his tangled hair. Goku watched his eldest son carefully, admiring the caring man that he grew up to be. Gohan was always so careful and so very smart, so it was no surprise that in Goku's absence, Gohan rose to the challenge. He pictured little Goten hunched over a pile of books with Gohan barking directions at him and demonstrating how easy subjects like math and science are to him. Goten was never one to study in the first place, but being alone with Chichi and Gohan for so long, Goku was sure that he had his fair share of studying as well. That being said, he recalled the fact that it was Chichi's training that triggered Goten's super saiyan form at the tender age of seven.

He felt sad inside looking down at his grownup son and feeling completely useless. He knew that Goten was the man he was today because of his upbringing, most of which Goku was absent for. He craved a way to make it up to him more than anything.

"Dad…I think you should go to him." Gohan said quietly, still staring at his younger brother.

Goku looked surprised, but considered the role that he could play at the current time. Perhaps the distraught young man before him would accept and appreciate an effort to provide emotional comfort at this point. He did just save everyone from certain death, something that Goku had done many times over.

He released Pan to hover for herself and let out a large, sorrowful sigh.

"I'm not so good at these things…" He hesitated to continue.

Gohan smiled and cocked his head at Goku, "You always were with me."

Goku felt touched by Gohan's honest words and decided it was time to confront and comfort Goten once and for all.

He slowly lowered down towards the ruins of the stone fortress and landed softly on the dirt with a light thud. He stood still for a moment, assessing Goten's condition and attempting to read and feel his ki. There was no energy emitting from Goten and he wasn't moving. He was crouched into a fetal position, knees buried in the dirt below him. His hands gripped the back of his head and his tears had made a small puddle below his hidden face. Goku could hear his quiet sobs filling the silent air with deep sentiment. He took a few steps towards him, expecting some kind of reaction, but there was none. He continued to sob into the Earth like the pain would never end.

Goku looked up into the grey sky and began to hear a low rumble of thunder.

"Goten…" he whispered softly as he knelt down in front of his son. "I want to say thank you for saving my life. I want to thank you even more for saving everyone else…you made me proud today, son."

Goten stopped sobbing quietly and froze. Goku got a strong sense that he was about to get another outburst, but instead, Goten raised his head slowly and looked at Goku with his large, black eyes silently. His face was mixed with anger, sadness, and even happiness that his father was there and comforting him. His brow began to relax and he dropped his hands to his sides while he leaned back onto his knees.

"I…I'm sorry for being such a douchebag…"

Goku laughed, "I'm not sure what that means, but…I think you had every right to be mad at me if that's what you're talking about. I'm sorry that I let you down, Goten."

Goten looked up sheepishly and felt bad when he saw Goku's face, concentrated yet far away, trying to think of a way to make his son feel the true depths of his apology.

"Goten…I won't leave again. I'm done leaving. Your mother, brother…Pan, Videl…you all mean so much to me. I will be a better father to you. I just hope I'm not too late. Can you forgive me, son?"

Goku leaned back and gently fell onto his backside. He crossed his long legs, staring straight at Goten with a warm smile. His face was relaxed and calm, yet there was an air about him that Goten hadn't felt before. He wondered if this was about as good as a true apology from his carefree and naïve father could get. Should he take it? He thought hard about what this would mean. No more get-togethers talking about how Goku is never around, no more explaining to people why his dad was never there but his parents were still married, and best of all, no more worrying that his father was somewhere dead in a ditch.

Goten sniffled and raised his head to meet his father's intent gaze. A drop of rain fell and landed on Goku's nose, startling him.

"Well…looks like the sky is rushing my descicion." Goten said smiling slightly.

He brushed the rain drop away and continued, "Dad…I've struggled most of my life because you were never there. If you stay, if you don't run off to save the world again…I will forgive you. But with that forgiveness comes trust...I have to learn to trust you again. That means…the next time that I have to come and save you, you better not let them get the better of you, first."

Goten held out his hand to Goku and smiled weakly.

"After all of the shit that's happened lately…I'm glad that I have my dad back."

Goku's smile grew wide and full of glee, "That's my boy!"

He shook Goten's hand just as the angry grey clouds burst and rain poured down onto them.

"Well!" Goten looked up and began to laugh.

They both laughed. Goten felt happy inside for the first time since he confessed to Bra. His mind stopped working for a moment and his face returned to an angry frown.

"What's wrong?" Goku sensed a spike in Goten's ki.

"Bra…I have to make sure she's okay." Goku nodded and kicked off into the sky. "Let's hurry then! Gohan and Pan went on ahead. Let's go!"

Goten kicked off from the dirt and burst into flight, desperate to see Bra again.

He loved the way it felt to fly in the rain. It was almost as though it wasn't raining, because his speed made it so that he didn't get completely soaked. The drops hitting him as he flew felt like a cooling and relaxing mist. He felt disgusting after all of the explosions anyways.

He thought of Bra and figured that she was probably healed by now from a Senzu bean, wondering where he was. He wasn't worried about her reciprocating his confession. He felt like she loved him, and that's all that mattered to him at the moment.

He considered what he would say when he arrived to see her beautiful, glowing face run towards him and fling herself into his arms. He could feel her warmth as he thought of her. He could smell her sweet scent and taste her luscious lips on his. He decided it was probably best to stop thinking about it, as he was getting rather excited. He looked over to his father, but Goku seemed to also be in deep thought. Good thing he couldn't read minds.

They flew ahead and came upon Capsule Corp. Lowering themselves to the ground, the rain began to drench their clothes and became quite cold.

"Ah, run!" Goku hollered to Goten as they reached the ground and ran towards the front door.

Goten felt his heart skip a beat as he grabbed the doorknob, ready for her to welcome him home. He felt it turn under his large hand and took a deep breath.

"Goku! Goten, you're safe!" Chichi was the first to greet her husband and son at the door, followed by the others.

She threw her arms around Goten, but quickly retreated and ordered him to put on dry clothes. Goten stared at her blankly.

"What is it?" She asked, confused by his ambivalent reaction.

"Where is she?" He looked around the room and caught Trunks' eye, who began to walk towards the staircase.

"C'mon, Goten…" He lit up and ran towards Trunks, patting him on the shoulder and smiling.

"How quickly he forgets who the most important woman in his life will ever be!" Chichi sneered at Goku who laughed awkwardly. Gohan seemed to agree with her as he scowled at his brother from afar, but cuddled Videl and Pan closely.

Trunks turned to Goten at the top of the stairs. "I'm just going to warn you, she was very near death when we got her home. She's lucky that she didn't croak, but that just proves that she's my sister. Fighter until the end!" He laughed slightly, scratching the back of his head as if stalling Goten from entering the room.

"Trunks, move! I want to see her!" Goten anxiously tried to go around Trunks, but he stepped to the side and blocked him.

"I need you to be prepared. She didn't heal properly with the beans…we think…it was whatever they injected her with."

Goten's anxious smile fell instantly.

"What?..."

He pushed Trunks aside in a panic and opened her door forcefully.

"Bra!" He started, but quickly was taken aback by her appearance.

Her skin was pale and she was attached to several machines. Her eyes were glazed over and her face had no expression.

He frowned, "What the hell are you doing to her? What is wrong?"

Trunks shrugged. "We have some of the best doctor's in Japan from the hospital staying in one of the guest suites. Three of them rushed over as soon as my mom called. We have all of the lab equipment that they need, but all we can gather right now is that she received three injections of an unknown substance. We're waiting on bloodwork."

Goten walked into the sterile, yellow room and sat on the edge of her bed.

"Oh, Bra…what did they do to you…?"

The heavy rain tapped loudly on her window and created an ambient shadow that danced across her sad face. He leaned forward on top of her and hugged her tightly.

"Please be okay…please be okay…" He took her hand and kissed the top of her placid skin and laid his head on her stomach. "Please wake up."

Her eyes moved about slightly, causing Trunks to snap to attention.

"She hasn't moved since we brought her home! Her eyes…Look!"

Her line of sight was limited, so Goten rose to her face and rested above her.

"Can you hear me?"

She seemed to lock onto his eyes and a small smile began to appear across her sickly face. She coughed slightly, rolling her head side to side on her large, puffy pillow and reached for Goten's hand.

"Bra…I'm so sorry…" Goten pleaded, his eyes darting between her hand, her blinking eyes, and her heart monitor.

"Trunks, have the doctor come check on her!"

Goten waved his right hand at Trunks, taking Bra's in his left. He caressed her skin and kissed the top of her hand.

"You were so strong…" He whispered softly to her as she strained to understand his words.

"Go…Goten?"

Her lips were dry and cracked and she coughed a dry heave. Goten reached for the tray pushed away to the side of her medical bed and grabbed the cup of water on top. He held onto the straw and aimed it between her parched lips and told her to drink slowly. He watched her closely and took the cup away when she seemed to have her fill.

"Bra…" He breathed softly. She blinked a few more times before focusing on his face. Her characteristic, Bulma-like smile spread across her face.

"Goten…" She reached for his face and he took her hand again, kissing her fingertips delicately.

"I was so worried about you. When I saw you…you looked…well, you looked like a total zombie."

She giggled painfully. He smiled, leaning in to kiss her cheek.

He stopped above her face and hovered there for a moment, resting his hands on either side of her pillow. She looked up at him with her big, doe eyes and whispered, "Do I look like a zombie now?"

He smiled, "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen…right now…and always…"

He kissed her lips lovingly, pouring his emotions into her and fighting back a strange urge to cry out of joy. He backed away from her and looked upon her with a proud gaze.

"Goten?" She asked gently, "Do you remember what you said to me before you passed out the other night?"

He contemplated what might be the best answer for a moment.

"I remember…" He paused, feeling awkward and exposed.

"All that got me through that hell…the experiments…was knowing that I had to tell you that I love you, too. Now you've gone and saved my life, all without knowing if I would return your sentiment or not. You're definitely the most amazing guy that I've ever had the pleasure of dating."

He blushed scarlet, but laughed at her sassy remark.

"You are so weird." He laid his head on her and nuzzled her cheek.

"You're equally as strange. But that's okay." She responded coolly, returning his affection.

After a few quiet moments, Trunks returned to the doorway completely pale.

"Bra…I…um, the doctor got your blood results. I haven't gotten mom or dad yet, but…well, just prepare yourself for...um…"

She tried to sit up but painfully rested back into place.

"What is your problem?" Goten asked Trunks with concern.

He swallowed hard and looked into the long hallway.

"The doctor's coming now…just know that I'm here for both of you. I'll be downstairs when you're ready to talk about it..."

His blue eyes looked as though he'd seen a ghost, and the sense of comfort that they'd just shared shattered in the mystery. They could hear the doctor's hurried footsteps and prepared for whatever kind of news the results might bring.


	24. Brotherly Advice

A tall man with broad shoulders entered Bra's homemade hospital room with a clipboard. He turned to Trunks, who began to back away, but Bra quickly spoke up.

"Please, my brother can stay…I want him here."

Trunks smiled weakly, but continued to tap his foot nervously on the floor. Goten wasn't so sure that Trunks wanted to be there for some reason.

The doctor greeted Bra and Goten with a smile and began to flip through his clipboard, looking at several different papers and comparing results.

"Well…I have some surprising news for you."

Bra stared at the man intently. She opened her mouth to speak, but paused for a moment before asking, "Am I dying or what?"

The doctor laughed, "You are not dying. You're actually very healthy. It seems that the injections given to you only caused such a reaction because you were allergic. We've reversed that effect, but I have more news for you."

She was getting impatient, but Goten placed his hand on hers and smiled.

"It's okay, we'll be okay."

The doctor smirked, looking up from his tiny glasses hanging tentatively on his nose.

"Your blood test revealed…that you're pregnant."

Time seemed to stop altogether. Goten felt the world start spinning beneath him, as if he had no control over his body at all. A cold sweat swept over him, causing him to hunch forward and grip his arms awkwardly. He was too afraid to look up, too afraid to see her face and too afraid to see Trunks' face. He couldn't understand how this could have happened. All those years with Marron and never one screw up. He'd only had sex with Bra once.

"Goten." Bra's voice chimed in his head and grounded him to reality. "Goten, it's going to be okay."

He blinked and decided to meet her gaze. As he turned his head, the smile spread across Bra's face caught him off guard. He expected a sad or even angry reaction, but instead her face seemed to be glowing with joy.

"I'll leave you two alone to process. I'll be back later, ma'am." The doctor backed out of the room graciously.

"This is…this is…" Goten tried searching for a word that didn't sound as harsh as 'disaster'.

"A miracle." Bra answered with starry eyes.

"What?"

Trunks practically fell over in the doorway, catching himself on the fancy, brass doorknob.

"Bra! Do you even realize what this means for your life?"

She raised one eyebrow, "That I'll have a child before you have even had a steady girlfriend?"

He blushed and crossed his arms.

"Goten…how do you feel?" She asked as he sat, wide eyed, still staring at her blankly.

"I…I feel…I feel like…shit, this is actually happening. How did…"

Bra stopped him as she sat up and placed two fingers on his lips.

"You know, we didn't use anything that night at the club. I was worried about this for a few days, but you saved my life today. I don't care what happens as long as I'm with you!"

Trunks rolled his eyes.

"Keep in mind that she is on painkillers at the moment. She's loopy as hell."

He blinked at Trunks and looked at Bra again, who was clearly irritated at Trunks' comment.

"I am totally sane at the moment and I'm being serious."

Goten stood up and walked towards her window. He watched the rain pound harder and harder against the glass and leaned forward, placing his hands onto the white windowsill.

He looked out over the city, thinking about how much he wanted to move and get a small apartment. He wanted to build a sweet motorcycle and ride across country with a band of other bikers. He wanted to date Bra, maybe one day make her his wife, but he hadn't even had a chance to really date her with everything that had been happening. He felt like his life was spinning out of control and there was nothing that he could do about it.

He softly rested his forehead against the glass, watching his breath create a fog and then take it away each time he breathed. A loud clap of thunder startled him, shifting his thoughts to the moment that he'd had with his father earlier at the site of the strange stone place. He felt so complete at that moment. He'd saved the day and his father apologized.

Goku promised to be a part of his life from this point forward. He considered what that meant for a moment. He'd never known what it was like to have a father that was home and taking care of a family until Gohan had Pan. When Pan was born, Gohan turned into a father to make any man jealous. He attended every event possible, encouraged her studies, encouraged her training…he was the ultimate dad. Goten wondered if he could ever measure up to Gohan and worried that he could turn out more like Goku.

"Goten."

Trunks placed a hand on Goten's shoulder and turned him around, peeling his face off of the smudged window.

"I can't say that I'm not a little pissed at both of you...But I figure you're feeling a lot of…well, feelings right now…about shit. Just remember that I'm here for you guys and I'll help with whatever I can."

He smiled, patting Goten's shoulder and shaking him gently. He turned and headed out the door, leaving Goten and Bra alone together.

"There is no option here. I want this baby." She said flatly as the door closed and left them in silence.

Goten listened to the spaced out beeping from Bra's heart monitor. Was she really in her right mind?

Bra frowned, "Goten…you couldn't possibly want me to…you know…end it?"

He put his face in his hands and ran his fingers through his hair, making a frustrated noise and sitting down harshly on the bed.

"Of course I don't want that. That's my kid in there…"

He looked at her stomach, which she had been rubbing since hearing the news. He looked scared by his own words.

"I guess, as a guy, you always expect the girl to freak out if this happens. It's so unplanned." She smiled, "Can I be honest?"

He paused, watching intently.

"My family is rich. We don't have to worry about being out on the street. My family is together and has been for my entire life. The baby will be surrounded by family that loves them, both mine and yours. And your dad is back…I'm sure he'll love this news."

They both froze for a moment, realizing they'd been overlooking one small thing. Perhaps the biggest obstacle; Vegeta.

"Oh, shit! Vegeta is going to kill me!" Goten's face contorted into a panicked and sad frown.

Bra shrugged nervously.

"I bet you could take him after your episode earlier."

She laughed, rubbing the back of her head, but soon considered the horrifying possibilities of telling her father that his rival's son impregnated his daughter.

"I mean…he's always going on and on about his royal legacy. Maybe he'll be happy that it'll continue?" Bra suggested.

Goten rolled his eyes, "Right. Nothing like an accidental, out of wedlock, half saiyan, royal baby to bring the family together."

Bra laughed, "You're a jerk."

She smiled and punched his arm playfully. Goten stared down at her stomach and tried to feel for ki. It was impossible to tell at this point.

"Can I…?" He raised his hand and started moving it slowly towards her belly.

"You can't feel anything yet, silly." She remarked, but allowed him to move closer.

"I know that." He scooted up the bed and laid down next to her, placing his head on top of her stomach gently.

"Hey, baby…this is your dad talking." He flinched at the sound of the actual words coming out of his mouth, causing Bra to blink a few times in disbelief as well.

"I…I want you to know that I'll always be there for you. I'm going to be a good dad, no, a super dad. You can always count on me. And your…your mom is going to be the best mom that you could ever ask for."

She smiled as tears started to well in her eyes.

"Goten…we're going to be parents!" She reached for him to hug her and he scooped her into his big arms.

"We can do this…we will do this." He whispered into her ear. "I love you."

She breathed effortlessly. "I love you, too."

He was overwhelmed with happiness as though a blockade in his mind had been broken down. He finally felt like he was fixing his life, moving on from the rut he was in for the past year and for most of his young adult life. This baby meant everything was going to change for the better.

They were startled by heavy footsteps running down the hallway. Trunks barged in, interrupting their precious moment.

"Guys…the other doctor just found mom and dad before I did and I think he's telling them. Goten, your mom is standing there, too…just prepare for…"

A loud crash sounded from below and the three instantly felt a huge ki raise up and explode.

"They…must have…told Vegeta…" Goten whispered, turning pale white.

"And Chichi." Trunks added, backing away from the door. "I'm gonna…go get some food…bye!"

They could hear him open the hallway window and fly off just as Vegeta started to storm up the stairs.

"Goten, I will murder you!" Vegeta growled.

"Not before I do, Goten! How could you be so stupid?" Chichi's voice followed closely behind Vegeta's raging footsteps.

Bra pulled the covers over her head and shrunk down into the bed. Goten began to tremble and hid his face in her pillow.

"What are we gonna do about this?" He pleaded as they entered the room.

Goten peeked up and looked at Vegeta, who was angry as ever with his veins sticking out of his neck and hands balled up into fists. Chichi straightened out her pink and purple dress and sat down in a wooden chair next to the door.

"How and when the hell did this happen?" Chichi said angrily, but Bulma came running in behind them.

"Okay, okay, let's take this down a notch. Chichi, you do not want the entire answer to that question. Vegeta, please, stop being such a hothead!"

Vegeta turned around and pointed an angry finger in Bulma's face, but she smacked it away.

"Don't you point that finger at me! Bra is a grown woman. She can handle the consequences of her actions!"

Bra peeked up out of the covers and frowned, "Thanks but, what do you mean by that?"

Bulma smiled deviously, "Well of course, you two need to get married now! That's what I should have done when your father knocked me up!"

Chichi nodded, "That's right! We'll give you a little bit of time to figure things out, but this baby will have a complete family!"

She crossed her arms and stood up, walking over to lock arms with Bulma and join in her decision. Goku now stood in the hallway peering in, but seemed overjoyed at the news and couldn't quite understand what everyone was so mad about.

"I'm…I'm gonna be a grandpa…to two babies?" Goku squeaked.

"And me! I'm gonna be an aunt!" Pan chimed in happily.

Goten regained his composure and cleared his throat.

"I will be getting my own place here in the city. Bra will come with me. I'll get a job. I'm going to prove that I can do this!"

Chichi laughed, "You don't even know what a steady job means! Gohan is the only man in this family with any kind of work ethic when it comes to making money!"

Goku fell forward.

"Besides, you didn't think Bulma was going to pay for any of this did you?"

Chichi frowned disappointedly.

"Mom…you can't just expect Goten to pay for everything! I can't get a job if I'm pregnant!" Bra interrupted.

Bulma and Chichi laughed hysterically while Vegeta continued to scowl at Goten.

"Tons of women work until the baby falls out, dear! Welcome to real life! I've spoiled you and your brother a little too much, I think."

"It's time you figured your life out for yourself!" Chichi added in her high pitched, whiny voice.

Goten rolled off the bed and stood up proudly. "I accept this challenge! I'll prove to you that I can be just as awesome as Gohan at being a dad!"

He pointed at his mother and gave her a thumbs up. She rolled her eyes and melted to his charm.

"You big goof…I suppose there could have been worse things…especially if you would have knocked up that ditzy girl with the brown hair."

Goten laughed and motioned for her to stop talking while Bra angrily growled at Chichi for even bringing up Paris.

"Well, how about we give Bra some time to rest?" Gohan said casually as he walked in the room. "This is a lot of stuff at once guys…after what Goten just did for all of us, I think it's safe to let him have a break from all of the judgments and orders."

Bulma, Chichi and Vegeta angrily shook their hands and began to yell at Gohan, but he held up a hand and shushed them.

"I've gotta go to the University and make sure they haven't fired me for being gone for a day without calling, but I need to talk to Goten first. Everyone out...please."

As they filed out of the room, Gohan asked Goten to follow him into the hall. He nodded and put his hands in his pockets nervously. Bra sighed heavily and fell into her pillow, clearly exhausted from all of the excitement.

Goten shut the wooden door behind him and followed Gohan down the hall a ways. Once Gohan felt that they were far enough away from Bra's earshot, he placed his hands on Goten's shoulders and smiled.

"This is it, bro. I have one thing to say besides the usual 'be a good dad' spiel."

Goten watched anxiously as his brother took a deep breath.

"I saw you making out with Marron the other day. I need to know that it was a onetime thing. If you ruin it with this girl over that girl…I swear…"

Goten blushed violently, "That was you? Oh, God…I forgot about that. No, she kissed me and it was a onetime thing! I don't have feelings for her at all! Wait…you don't think I was stupid for dumping Marron?"

Gohan smiled and shook his head, "No. You're wild and crazy, much more than I was at your age. She was holding you down."

He walked to the large window at the center of the hallway. The rain was coming down even harder than before, seeming to start a small flood outside in the downhill yard.

"I knew that you weren't really happy with her. You liked the idea of her, a girl with a stable family and a stable career path."

Goten slid down the wall and sat back. He began to trace the tile lines on the floor with his foot.

"You wanted a family to accept you because as much as I tried, I was never a father to you, only your older brother. When Videl and I built our house, you just started acting out in ways that I didn't expect from you. I knew you were unhappy."

Goten blushed again, feeling awkward yet appreciative that his brother cared so much about him.

"I want you to know that I'm here for you. I want you to do this right, and no matter how much advice our father can give you, he wasn't there for you and you're always going to be mad at him. I know you. I'm glad you reconciled, but please come to me when you need help. I don't want you to forget how much I tried to teach you."

He looked at the floor and smiled warmly at his younger brother. Goten couldn't believe how open Gohan was being with him. Gohan was usually very private about anything personal. He didn't like to express his feelings, which is what made him such an obedient teenager. Even as a grown man, Goten had yet to see or hear a fight with Videl or Pan get out of hand. Gohan was the most respectable man he'd ever known.

"Yeah, bro…I get what you're saying. I appreciate it…I won't forget it."

Gohan leaned down and patted Goten's back before beginning to walk away.

"Wait!" Goten called after him.

"Yes?" Gohan asked politely.

"Can you forget what you saw with Marron? Don't tell anyone…"

Gohan gave him a thumbs up and turned again.

"We're going to pack up and head home. You should stay here for a few days with Bra and find an apartment."

Goten smiled proudly. He felt like this was his chance to finally grow up, even if it was a little fast. He was rather impulsive anyways.


	25. Life As We Know It

The next morning, Goten woke early from the light peeking through the burgundy curtains in his room. He peered up from his soft pillow to the digital clock propped up on the bedside table.

"Ugh…" He verbalized as he curled up in the expensive, heavy comforter for warmth.

He honestly never woke up at seven in the morning unless he had something specific to do. He figured it was due to the previous day's ridiculously complicated events. Not only did he save his entire race from extinction at the hands of a mad saiyan-scientist hybrid, but he also found out that he'll be a father in a few, very brief months.

He rolled over and felt the smooth silk sheet below caress his skin, sending chilly shivers up his back. He really didn't like the silk sheets simply because they were too cold in the morning. Ever since he was a child, he never even used sheets because it was an extra thing to worry about when making his bed in the morning. Chichi always made sure that his bed looked perfect before he could leave for school, so he just started sleeping on top of the sheet to save on time. It was a strange habit, but he felt confident that it was an intelligent choice.

His mind began to swirl with thoughts again as he laid there trying to find a reason to stay in bed instead of get up and face the new day. It was strange to think that he'd basically been living in the Brief household for the better part of two months. He'd convinced Trunks before he went to bed the previous night to hire him at Capsule Corp as an entry level assistant of sorts. He felt oddly about the fact that he'd be an assistant to his best friend at a mega corporation, but the pay was far beyond what he expected from an editorial job that he could get with his creative writing degree. In the midst of all the talk of business, his mind continued to race back to thoughts of coming home to Bra. He pictured her with a ton of shopping bags scattered around with open boxes of shoes and various clothes laying out on the furniture that she'd been trying on. He knew that she felt every woman should work, like her mom did, which he also knew for sure would bother Chichi when she is told Bra refuses to stay home. He thought it was inspiring and took no issue with it, especially since he'd grown up with Videl always working to help support their household.

He continued to let his mind explore the future and pictured Bra as a mother. He imagined her to be argumentative and firm, yet cool and fun at the same time. His heart raced, warming his entire body with anticipation. He couldn't picture their child in his mind, as he'd never even considered having a child yet, but figured that the baby would probably look like him since the Son genes appeared to be so strong. The only acceptation to that idea was his sister, who received Chichi's mother's brown hair and blue eyes. Pan was a clear clone of her father, so maybe Goten's genes would be as strong as Gohan's. Goten began to get excited at the thought of a mini-him. Another Goku clone, he thought.

He decided that he should get out of bed and head out into the kitchen for breakfast. As he began to stretch his long legs and slide out of his cozy bed, he heard a small knock at the front door. He stopped to listen as he heard heavy footsteps run out from the kitchen and open the door quietly. The two sets of feet crept silently past Goten's room and into Trunks' room next door. He couldn't sense any ki, so whoever it was knew how to hide their energy from others.

He rushed to the wall that he shared with the next room and placed his ear against the cold, smooth wall. He instantly recognized a female voice as Marron's and dreaded what he was about to hear between the two. She sounded upset, as if they'd already had an argument, but something told Goten that this was about Bra. He looked down and scooted his knee onto the small, decorative chair against the wall and leaned forward onto its tall, quilt-looking back for support. "I don't understand what's wrong with him. Does he not understand the kind of burden this will be? I can't believe you support this!" She whispered angrily, pacing about the room. Her voice continuously grew louder and softer frequently each time she moved away and towards the wall. He heard Trunks sigh before answering coolly, "Marron…it's not your problem. Why did you even come over if you were just going to yell at me?" There was a brief silence before he continued, "Look…I don't know what you think you are to me. You don't want to hook up, you don't want to be my girlfriend…what do you want? Did you just want to go out with me a few times and get pampered by a rich guy?" Goten braced himself for a tyrannical Marron response, "Well, then…" she started, "I suppose you want me to make a decision?" Goten exhaled with a small sense of relief. Trunks scoffed with frustration, "I know you still love him, Marron." Goten's expression froze as he continued to listen intently, feeling a cold chill flood his veins with dread. "I don't!" She answered, but the tension could be felt through her voice. Trunks shifted around the room and there was a long pause. "Stop!" She snapped angrily, "Why? Why can't I kiss you if you don't have feelings for Goten?" Goten began to feel badly for Trunks as she continued, "Because….because I don't have feelings for you that way." Goten backed away from the wall and felt like he'd invaded too much of their privacy. He sat on the bed feeling a strange, creeper vibe. Had he gone too far listening in like that? Trunks wasn't one to talk about his feelings like Goten did, so getting this out of him before letting on that he heard it himself was going to be a challenge. He lost himself in his mind briefly before his door cracked open and startled him.

"Ten?"

Her voice lit up his soul from its core the second her heard it.

"Bra? What are you doing out of bed?"

He turned his head and gazed upon the most put together patient he'd ever seen. There she stood, hair pulled back into a curled ponytail and makeup done perfectly for an outing. Her black, long-sleeved dress was decorated in navy blue chevron pattern along her chest and down to her knees. His eyes continued downwards onto her feet, strapped into black shoes with high wedge heels. She had a pink blanket around her shoulders and wobbled along with her fluids attached to a wheel-bound metal pole. He shot up quickly and scooped her into his arms, sitting her on the bed and kissing her forehead.

"Where do you think you're going?"

She smiled softly, "I wanted to come apartment hunting with you."

He looked down at her arm, clearly still dependent on her IV attachments.

"The doctors say that my test results this morning are substantially better. Must be saiyan strength healing or something. I just want to get out of the house…"

Goten sighed and smiled before looking up into her eager, blue eyes.

"You should really take the day to rest."

She frowned, "I can do whatever I want!" Her Vegeta-like attitude pierced her cute, playful personality like an angry wasp and Goten quickly surrendered.

"Okay, okay! Let's just get this thing detached…"

He felt queasy looking at the needle taped to her arm and backed away into the hallway.

"C'mere first!" She held out her arms and smiled, another complete personality shift.

Goten rolled his eyes and re-entered the room, moving towards her and placing his arms around her tightly.

She kicked up his feet and tripped him onto the bed suddenly.

"Bra! The door's open…what are you doing?"

She smiled deviously.

"You know…we haven't even gotten a chance to…you know…since the first time in that club…"

He nervously shifted his weight to the bed, not wanting to place extra pressure on her stomach.

"I…well..we just…"

She placed a fingertip on his lips and smiled before kissing him softly. When the frenzy started, he lost himself in her kiss. The room vanished and his senses could only focus on her. Her mere touch was enough to send him flying into the clouds of sensation overload. He crawled on top of her, still careful to hold his weight up from her.

"Stop worrying about me…I can handle it."

"You don't know what I want to do to you…"

"Show me…"

Goten began to kiss her with all of the passion and built up excitement he had in him. He arched her back up to him and wrapped her legs around his back securely. He felt her large breasts press up against his stomach and instantly shot to full excitement. Bra giggled and rubbed herself against him.

"I feel it…I want it…" She whispered.

"Oh, you are so bad…lemme close the door…"

Goten laid her down gently and ran over to the door. Just as he gripped it to slam it shut, he realized who was paralyzed in the hallway.

"Goten! Dude!"

stood, mouth hanging open, with a crying Marron at his side.

"What…how could you be so bold?" Marron said horrified before running for the front door.

Trunks held out a hand after her briefly, but shifted his attention back to his friend and sister.

"What are you thinking? Your ki was going crazy…dad will sense it if you do that for too long! You're lucky he's still asleep!"

Bra giggled, "Oops…forgot about that little detail."

Goten blushed violently, "You mean…oh, shit. I didn't even think about that!"

He backed away and sat awkwardly on the bed.

"Just…stop making out all over the place. Bra…what the hell?" He entered the room and took her arm in his hands.

"Do you not know how to take this out?" He asked Goten.

Goten shrugged, "I was only pre-med for a year, man…I don't remember shit."

Trunks rolled his eyes and pulled out the small needle, almost knocking Goten out with sickness.

Bra frowned, "That doesn't even hurt!"

Trunks laughed and helped her up to her feet, again rolling his eyes at her shoes.

"Just because Goten is super tall doesn't mean you have to run around in hooker shoes."

She stuck out her tongue like a child and waved Trunks away.

When he left, purposely leaving the door open again, she turned herself towards Goten and held out a hand enthusiastically.

"Let's go out for breakfast! I want chocolate chip pancakes!"

He took her hand cautiously, still afraid that Vegeta would come running down the staircase to kill him.

"Oh, don't listen to Trunks! My dad sleeps like a dead tree…he didn't sense it."

Goten laughed at her, "Dead tree?"

She shrugged and hopped off of the bed. With a slight twinge, she started to walk away and stun Goten as she shook her body back and forth like a super model on a runway. His eyes traveled again from her perfect hair bouncing from side to side and down her sleek, exquisite body. Everything about her looks screamed perfection. Calming himself with haste, he rose and followed her out.

Inside of particularly expensive, dark-blue sports car that resembled a bat mobile, Bra began to scrunch up her face in thought.

"What's on your mind?" He laughed as he watched her face contort inquisitively, "You look…concerned."

She opened her mouth, but closed it again, and then sighed.

"I just…why was Marron there this morning? I thought they were like…not a thing anymore?"

Goten's interest was piqued, "I thought that they were a couple?"

She gave him a sly glance, "Oh, Goten…you're such a guy. He brought her to Mikio's party that night because she wanted to meet some of his friends. They were just like, hanging out. She wouldn't kiss him there…Obvious sign that they aren't together."

Goten felt weird, "Doesn't it weird you out to talk to her about your brother like that? He's my friend and it weirds me out."

She frowned again, "No. Why would it? He's a grown ass man. I don't care who he bangs."

Goten felt stupid. He certainly cared who Pan was dating, even though she was his niece and not his sister. He shuddered at the thought of her dating anyone period and returned his thoughts to Trunks and Marron.

"So…why do you think they aren't actually couple? I thought they were…uh…getting along?"

Bra laughed, "Because she's still into you, silly."

A strange gasping sound escaped Goten's lips before he could speak again.

"You're…honest."

She shrugged, "Would you have me any other way? Anywho, you're mine, and she knows it. So she's like going crazy. Also, we should go visit Kazuko. She's still in the hospital, right? I overheard some of the doctors talking about it."

Goten realized that he'd completely forgotten about his friends.

"Uh…by the way, Mikio is a saiyan."

Bra gasped, "What? Why wasn't he taken then? Whose line is he from? Wait…another saiyan?"

Goten slapped his forehead, "You think too fast for your own good!"

She frowned and looked ahead, "Well…I have some questions for him now."

They landed outside of the hospital and as Bra returned her car to its capsule, Goten pondered the question.

Where was Mikio from?

He knew that he was not born in Japan, but he never spoke of family other than his adopted one. He had no idea where his friend may have come from. Perhaps other saiyans inhabited Earth in other countries…maybe their race wasn't as exclusive to Japan as they thought.


	26. Traitor

As they made their way to Kazuko's hospital room, Goten watched Bra's tortured expression. She was clearly upset that Mikio didn't face the same torture as the rest of them, but it seemed even more personal.

In general, Bra was terribly hard to read. Goten thought that this was possibly because of her royal traits that Vegeta instilled within her, such as to never appear weak. She clutched her shiny, red purse tightly and began to bite her soft, pink lip nervously. Goten smirked and thought that she looked quite adorable so worked up.

She entered Kazuko's bland hospital room, waving weakly to an enthusiastic Mikio sitting in the corner. He looked like he'd been sleeping.

Bra took a seat next to the bed in a flimsy, black chair that the nurse left for them. Mikio turned his head to her and smiled.

"You're alive!" He joked.

He looked up at Goten, who frowned uncomfortably at the bold statement.

"Goten, you don't have to worry. If you all survived…they died in vein. This is a good thing."

Bra furrowed her brow.

"Mikio…Goten told me that you said…you're like us. How is that possible?"

Mikio's expression fell into a dark place. He stared up into the ceiling and seemed lost in thought for a few moments. He got up and pulled his chair over to Kazuko's bed.

Goten listened intently to the beeping of his monitor and various machines. He leaned against the wall at the entrance, watching the nurses and doctors bustle about in the hallway. It was a bit heart wrenching to think that he could have been one of them at this point. He could have been a doctor giving some horrible diagnoses or even a surgeon-in-training saving someone's life. He tore himself away from the "what if" world and rejoined the present.

"They only gave us ten minutes with you, Mikio. You don't have a whole lot of time to stare into space." Bra demanded.

Mikio's eyes seemed empty as he stared back at them, but his mouth opened slowly. He began cautiously.

"Yes. I am half human and half saiyan. I was born in America, but my saiyan mother died in childbirth and my human father gave me up for adoption in anguish. He didn't think he could raise me."

Bra looked horrified at his words and hugged her midsection longingly.

Goten thought it strange. In his mind there was no way that a saiyan woman could die from child birth. Regardless, he placed a comforting hand on Bra's shoulder and squeezed gently. He motioned for Mikio to continue and placed his chin on top of Bra's head.

"I learned of my saiyan heritage when I found my real father again as an adult. I always had weird strength and I had a tendency to get very angry without control, so I wanted to know if I was going to have some kind of problem when I got older. Ya know, like mental illness wise. I found him pretty easily after I stole some records from the hospital that I was born at. I saw that he was a professor in Tokyo, probably so that I could find him one day. I packed up and never went back the the States after that."

Bra began to ask for more details, but an anxious nurse knocked on the door and poked her head in the room.

"Excuse me, I need to take our patient here down for some testing. Please say your good-byes. Sorry for the short time."

Goten moved closer to Mikio and asked quietly, "Was your father among the men who captured my family?"

Mikio smiled, "I don't know. My father ended up not wanting nothing to do with me and I haven't seen him in two years. Why would you think that anyway? He pretty much hates the saiyan race for abandoning my mother."

Bra frowned, "That's not good enough. You don't know what they did to me…I have to know what you know about those men!"

Goten leaned down to Mikio and placed a hand on his arm. He squeezed slightly, enough to strike just a hint of fear into his eyes.

"Bra was injected with some kind of poison three times when they captured her. If there's anything that you know, you need to tell me. Maybe they captured your father, too…All I need to know is if we should be worried about Bra and…the baby."

Mikio face contorted into a devilish smile, but quickly returned to normal. Bra frowned.

Mikio then asked excitedly, "They injected her, huh? Pity. Sounds gross…"

Goten slammed his fist on the table next to the hospital bed, breaking it in half and grabbed Mikio's shirt by the front. He thrusted him out of bed, knocking down some of the monitor machines. Kazuko woke from her nap and began panicking.

Bra stood up and attempted to stop Goten's anger, but he shot her a warning glance and she backed away quickly.

"Whatever you know…and I know you know something…now is the time to tell us! Those men were torturing her! My family and hers were no better than dead until I got there!"

Mikio closed his eyes and took a deep breath in. He released it slowly and said, "Goten…we've been friends for several years. I'm sorry that I was never completely honest with you. I know you're a good guy from a great family, so I won't lie to you when I say that I'm not sure how her body will handle this pregnancy. The injections were meant for the baby, not her. My father created them. He made them in his lab at Tokyo University…"

Bra gasped and clutched her stomach protectively, instantly bursting into tears of fear and backing away to the door. Goten's eyes flashed blue and back to black as his ki began to rise into dangerous numbers.

"Mikio…is my baby going to live?" Goten snarled, shaking him angrily.

Mikio smirked, "The baby will be a masterpiece of the new saiyan race. A perfect race. It's brilliant."

Bra rushed over and grabbed Mikio away from Goten, forcing Goten backwards and onto the floor. Her hair seemed to stand on end and her ki flew high as well, causing the floor to shake.

A nurse ran to the door and began to scream. She grabbed a walky talky and radioed for security, but an angry glare from Bra caused her to retreat behind the service desk in fear.

When Bra's eyes returned to Mikio, their normal blue had turned to electric green and her hair was flickering yellow, glowing like fire.

"What did you do to my baby?" She asked in a low, surly voice.

Mikio looked afraid now and tried to struggle.

She grabbed his neck and held tightly. "I will…kill you."

He squirmed for freedom as her anger broke loose. Goten shielding his eyes as her first transformation pulsated through her body and exploded in a show of tremendous power.

"I will kill you!" She screamed again, shaking Mikio as he choked for life, but a flash of light entered the room. Goten heard the window break and when the light had cleared, Bra was gone.

Mikio laid half dead on the bed, gasping for air. The room was in shambles, most of the equipment broken into various pieces and sparking. The hospital personal shook with fear, all hiding behind objects.

"Are you okay?" Goten asked in a harsh tone.

"Yes. I'm…alive…" Mikio responded.

"Good. I will personally finish what she started if there is anything wrong with my baby."

Mikio smiled and gave Goten an unwarranted thumbs up, sending Goten's nerves up in flames. He rose and shot out the window to find his mate, who was undoubtedly very, very out of control at the moment.

He flew through the air, feeling for her ki. He could sense her a few miles away due east. He wondered what she was doing heading towards Mount Paozu, but followed her eagerly. The other ki that had grabbed her was without a doubt Trunks. He must have been around and felt what was going on.

When Goten located them, he landed a few feet from them and gazed upon the most beautiful scene he'd ever laid eyes on.

Bra was standing away from Trunks, glowing with a fiery inferno burning around her body. Her hair stood straight up and back in a vibrant golden color. Her eyes were no longer soft and warm but hard and fierce, filled with anger. Her muscles were exceptionally impressive and her stance proved that a wrong move would render the attacker dead in an instant.

Trunks was also super saiyan, but as Goten compared the two, Bra was clearly the stronger opponent. She continued to scream at Trunks, but he held his ground and clenched his fists angrily. Tears streamed down Bra's face, running her perfect makeup slightly and making her look even more demon-like.

"Bra! Calm down!" Trunks called to his sister.

Her electric green eyes rose to meet his behind a face that resembled the fury of her father's darkest times as an evil and possessed saiyan.

"I will kill him for what he's done!" She screamed and fell to her knees as though she was in pain.

Goten couldn't stand it any longer and ran to her. He fell to the ground in front of her.

"Bra…baby…it's okay! Please, please tell me what I can do!" Goten pleaded with her, but only received screams of agony in return.

She clutched her stomach and curled into a ball, sending her energy waves flashing through the field and churning up winds worthy of a cyclone. Strangely, the colors flashed between traditional golden yellow to a pinkish-purple. Goten was getting worried.

"Goten, we gotta calm her down…she's too powerful for her own body!" Trunks said frantically as he looked in all directions for any sign of other people. He shielded his eyes as her purple bolts of electricity shocked him.

"Bra…listen to my voice…you've gotta calm down. This isn't healthy for the baby!"

Bra's screaming slowed. She looked up at two of most important men in her life and forced her eyes shut.

"I…I'm sorry!" She yelled.

Her power stopped surging and her super saiyan form dropped, causing her to return to normal. Her hair fell in blue showers around her pained and tortured expression and her eyes returned to their clear blue state. She continued to clasp her stomach in pain.

"We have to get her back to mom…the doctor's will be able to help!" Trunks said, picking her up instinctively.

Goten nodded, "I can't believe what just happened. That was no normal transformation."

Trunks nodded and held his sister closely.

"We'll get this sorted out, sis…it's okay."

She mumbled weakly and hid her tearful eyes into his shirt. They kicked off into the air and hastily headed back to Capsule Corp.


	27. No Time for Cryin'

After returning to Capsule Corp, Trunks sat in the living room curled up on the biggest of several leather sofas. The television was on, but he wasn't paying any attention to the latest newscast.

As the news anchor's voice droned on, he felt sick thinking about what Bra must be going through to have had such a horrific transformation to her super saiyan form. He also felt even worse that his own transformation was so simple and effortless at only eight years old.

A small buzz startled him from inside his pocket. He flicked his finger across his phone, looking at an email he'd received for work, but found himself to be utterly uninterested in his duties as CEO at the moment. He rose his head up and looked around the dark room dimly lit by the glowing television mounted above the brick fireplace. The sunset was apparent as the great shadow of night began to cast over the huge, extravagant rooms surrounding him. He stared blankly at the yellow walls of his parents' home and missed his own apartment.

He enjoyed the dark, earthy tones and rich carpeting in his own home rather than the cheery and sterile feel of the home he grew up in. He never expected to be the intervention that stopped his sister from killing his friend when he'd only meant to drop off some paperwork at the hospital. Now, it seemed he'd be staying here with his family for a while again. He couldn't bring himself to leave Bra alone, even with Goten at her side. Goten was far too emotional to make sure that she didn't hurt herself.

Sitting in the growing darkness, he could hear his sister's sad cry ring through the many hallways of their mansion. He assumed the doctor's must be testing her for something again. As another cry rang out, Trunks shivered like he'd heard nails against a chalkboard and shifted uncomfortably on the slick leather.

After some time of silence, his father entered the room looking stern as usual. He plopped down on the sofa beside his son and shut his eyes. He placed his hand over his face, dragging it down and sighing loudly.

"You'd think that a warrior race wouldn't scream every time a small, sharp object barely pierced their skin." Vegeta scoffed.

Trunks rolled his eyes, "Dad…she's going through a lot more than just the average shot. Besides, Goku is afraid of needles."

Vegeta's fists tightened.

"Bra is twice the warrior that Kakarot was as her age. I heard of her transformation from that boy..."

Trunks laughed, "Goten? The 'boy' that basically grew up with me?"

Vegeta snarled, "Yes, well I never thought that my daughter, the princess of all saiyans, would show such interest in such a weakling like him."

Trunks rolled his eyes. He knew that Goten was not weak. After all, Goten achieved super saiyan 3 form recently. Vegeta had no room to criticize him.

Trunks' eyes shot down the hallway as he heard a door open and close quickly. He could sense that it was Goten. He got up from the large couch and stretched, realizing just how long he'd been sitting there on top of his legs.

As his sleeping limbs began to wake, he noticed that the living room was completely dark. He stumbled about and flipped on the light switch.

"Ah, why would you do that without telling me first, boy?" Vegeta grumbled as he laid sideways, half asleep.

Trunks threw his arms up in surrender, but left the light on and headed towards a very distraught Goten.

"Hey…how is everything?" Trunks asked carefully, approaching Goten with plenty of warning.

"They keep sticking her with all kinds of needles. I can't take it! I feel like they're killing her all over again!"

Trunks realized that Goten must be thinking of the situation that he'd only just recovered the whole family from. He couldn't remember a good chunk of their capture, and was too swollen to see much of anything until Goten brought the senzu beans. Bra's screams however were still fresh in his memory, tearing at his insides each time.

"You know that she's safe here. These doctors are too stupid to try anything funny…" Trunks said softly, causing Goten's tearful eyes to meet his.

Looking up at him, Trunks never realized just how tall Goten was. He seemed so lanky lately, like he'd been training without eating. It was strange, considering the Son family was certainly known for their healthy eating habits.

He leaned against the wall and continued, "So…how are you with the other thing?"

Goten looked at Trunks annoyed at his ambiguity.

"Other thing? What other thing?"

Trunks sighed patiently, "You know…the baby. Have you been able to give it much thought?"

Goten looked offended.

Trunks instantly countered, "No, no I mean have you thought of…a name, maybe?"

Goten's expression softened, but he turned around to hide his face. He walked to the end of the hall and pressed his forehead against the large window.

"I do have a name in mind."

Trunks began to inquire, but Goten held up a hand.

"I haven't even asked Bra yet. I'm not telling you."

Trunks scoffed and crossed his arms, looking ever so much like Vegeta.

Goten laughed, "You look like your dad."

Trunks frowned.

Goten shrugged and said, "Oh hey, speaking of dads, my dad actually called me earlier. I didn't tell him what happened, Videl would probably be up here in five seconds. She's all pregnant and trying to bond with Bra over babies anyways."

Trunks looked confused, "Women, man…"

Goten shrugged again, "I'm cool with it. Pan is coming over, by the way. She needs some help with something and said it was about Capsule Corp. I told her that you could explain it better than me."

Trunks scrunched his face, "Uh…isn't Gohan ten times smarter than like…all of us? Videl, too. She works for Capsule Corp."

Goten rolled his eyes, "Would you want to ask your dad a question about training that you thought he'd consider beneath him? It's the same kind of thing. Besides, she looks up to you, man. She's not really the intellectual type and it bugs Gohan like crazy."

Trunks nodded his head. He supposed that it made sense. Though Bulma was crazy intelligent, she never really forced school with Trunks nor Bra. Trunks tried his best to impress her, but she and Vegeta were always concerned with other things.

Trunks continued to listen to Goten continue on about his family for some time. He felt a cool smile spread gradually across his face as he heard him delve into his feelings about Pan's education and upbringing. Goten was going to be a great father and a terrific husband. Maybe it wasn't so bad that his sister fell for Goten after all.

After a brief pause, Goten blurted.

"I'm not saying I wouldn't like to help Pan, by the way. I just think you'd be better. We know how my academics are…ha!"

Trunks rolled his eyes. Though Gohan was considered the smart one, Goten was even smarter than his brother. He never tried in school and literally never did his homework, but aced every single test that came in front of him. Trunks wasn't so lucky. To the present day, it continued to bother Trunks when Goten undercut his own intelligence.

Goten shrugged at Trunks' lack of interest and turned to reenter the room with Bra. He held the door open to Trunks, but he couldn't bring himself to enter. He stood there staring at her limp body, strapped to the bed tightly and clearly doped up from several different drugs. Her eyes rolled about the room and her face looked hollow and sad.

"Trunks…" she said weakly.

"Hey sis…how are you feeling?" Trunks answered from the doorway painfully.

She smiled stiffly, "I'm good. I feel better. I'm sorry about all of this."

"Don't be sorry. You're just as powerful as dad. It's not something to apologize for." Trunks replied proudly.

As he debated entering the room, the doorbell sounded throughout the house. Trunks sighed in relief and quickly went to answer. His moral dilemma was on hold for now.

Another ring sent Trunks jogging. He glanced over at Vegeta, who laid wound like a pretzel snoring on the couch. He practically ripped the door off the hinges when loud bangs to the door startled Vegeta's snores.

"Pan, I'm here!...oh." Trunks opened the door and was surprised by the blonde barbie-doll standing under the porch light. "Marron…"

He stared at her beautiful face and felt his own face heat up like a fire.

"I wasn't expecting you…Pan is coming to get some homework help."

She raised a hand, signaling for him to stop talking. Her face was serious and gloomy, not uncommon for her these days, but it seemed like she had a message to deliver. She shifted her hips in her flowing, pink sundress with grey tights and crossed her arms tightly across her chest.

"Would you like to come inside? It's getting chilly…"

Marron shook her head, "I just wanted to tell you…I'm moving to America with my mom. Yamcha has family there…we gotta get out of here."

Trunks stood silently for a moment, mouth hanging open and eyes wide with bewilderment.

"I thought you were looking for a place in the city?" Trunks asked, still in shock.

"I was. But when my mom offered me the chance to come with her and Yamcha…I just…"

Trunks stopped her and shook his hands.

"Yamcha? Is your mom with him now?"

Marron looked down at her feet and clearly felt uncomfortable. Her boots kicked around at the ground below her and she faced away from him.

"Yeah…I think that they are. Whatever, she deserves to be happy…my dad dying nearly killed her."

Trunks blinked a few times in disbelief while she continued.

"Anyways, this is good-bye for now. Give my regards to Goten and Bra…I…I wish them the best."

Trunks stuttered as she instantly turned to leave.

"Wait!" He called as he ran out onto the porch and grabbed her wrist, twirling her around into his arms. "I didn't think…you'd leave…I mean, what we have here…it's special right?"

Marron kissed his cheek tenderly.

"I'm sorry, Trunks. We grew up together…you're a great guy…but I need to get over Goten and move on with my life. You're just too close to this. I have to go. We will visit eventually. I really wish…there was another way…"

She pushed away from him and turned, kicking off into the sky and heading towards Kame house. Trunks watched her and felt the pit of his stomach ache.

"You hate flying…" he whispered to himself sadly.

When he turned to re-enter his house, Pan stood watching him near the open doorway. He jumped and fell backwards at the sight of her. She looked down in embarrassment. She'd overheard his entire conversation with Marron.

After a few moments of awkward silence and Trunks sitting dumbfounded on the grass, she murmured, "I'm sorry…should I leave?"

Trunks sighed and ran his hands through his silky, purple hair.

"Nah…it's okay." He sniffled slightly and rose up to his feet, "Let's see this project that you need my expert opinion on."

Pan smiled, a beet-red blush creeping across her pale, white cheeks. She held out her papers and looked up at the sky.

"It's cold…can I come in?"

Trunks laughed, "Yeah, sure. You don't have to ask. Just be quiet. Dad's sleeping on the sofa in the living room."

Pan smiled nervously and headed inside. She looked around, but the lights had been turned off and she was hesitant to move forward.

"Oh…my dad must have turned the lights off again." Trunks hissed annoyed, but when he flipped the switch, the lights didn't come back on.

Pan moved closer to Trunks and latched onto his shirt, "It's really dark in here…"

Trunks shrugged in the darkness, "It must be mom…sometimes the power goes out when she's working on a machine."

Vegeta grumbled, "You're talking and I'm trying to sleep, boy!"

Trunks huffed angrily, "C'mon, Pan…her lab in the basement has power. We'll just work down there."

Pan squeaked in agreement, but continued to hold onto his shirt as they walked blindly to the basement door under the staircase.

Trunks turned the doorknob and opened the door, "Well…this light is out, too. Just be careful. I see her lights on down there."

The soft, purple glow of the Capsule Corp laboratory was just barely visible at the foot of the spiral staircase that twisted into the mysterious basement that Pan had never heard of. As they descended down into the depths of the mansion, the darkness seemed to envelop them. The steps were narrow and easy to miss, so Trunks continued slowly as Pan held onto his shirt.

"You know, this shirt was expensive. You're probably stretching it out…" Trunks said, teasing Pan in his usual, arrogant way.

Pan let go instantly.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't realize that I was!"

In her panic, she tripped and began to fall forward down the stairs. Trunks grabbed her in an instant and threw her up over his shoulder.

"You klutz! I'll carry you like this so you can't hurt yourself or my shirt, ok?"

Pan felt humiliated and surrendered with a sad sigh, but secretly loved the attention.

Finally they reached the bottom of the stairs. Pan felt Trunks step down onto the flat floor. He set her down gently and stared at the closed door with purple light glowing all around it in front of them.

"I have to knock. I don't want her to blow something up if we startle her."

Pan nodded nervously, looking at the large, wooden door. Trunks reached forward and knocked quietly.

"Mother?" Trunks asked in a cool voice.

He straightened his brand name, button-down shirt and placed his hands into his slick, black pants. His muscular face glowed in the light, with his hair looking even more lavender than ever in the purple light. Pan blushed violently again and looked down at the floor before he could notice.

"Trunks?" A muffled voice called from behind the door. "Come in!"

Bulma sounded chipper and excited for some company. Trunks opened the door and the purple glow overwhelmed them.

"Sorry, I'm almost done with this!" Bulma said calmly as she continued to use a large gun-shaped tool on a metal door in a corner of the large room.

She wore a large, metal mask with a small, clear slit for her eyes and thick, tan gloves to protect her hands. Her white lab coat was closed and her boots looked charred from previous experiments.

As the purple sparks continued to fly, Trunks walked to a nearby lab station and flicked on a large overhead light. Pan walked over to him slowly, but couldn't help staring at all of the fancy gadgets and half-done experiments. Robots were all around, staring down at the various lab stations with no life in their eyes. She looked at one particular robot with missing arms that had a very strange face. Bulma looked up from her work and pulled back her mask, resting it on top of her head.

"He's part of my elemental testing project, but I ran out of his material before I could make his arms. I've gotta get on that one…"

Pan turned around startled and smiled at Bulma politely. Bulma took off her gloves and set them on the table beside her.

"What brings you two down here to my bat cave?"

Trunks rolled his eyes at his eccentric mother, "I'm helping Pan with some report on Capsule Corp. You knocked out the power upstairs again."

Bulma sighed, "Oh, well…the generators will kick on soon, then. I am so close to having this chamber done for your father! It's truly my masterpiece…well, one of them at least."

Trunks ignored her and began looking over the papers. Pan wandered over to the metal doors of Bulma's masterpiece and reached out to touch the smooth material.

"What is it?"

Bulma smiled, clearly excited that someone in their house was interested in one of her projects.

"It's a replica of the hyperbolic time chamber!"

Pan cocked her head to the side. Bulma continued, "It's a machine that used to train for a year's worth of training in one day."

Pan frowned, "Why on Earth would we need that?"

Bulma smiled, "Well, your dad used the original twice and saved the Earth from Cell! Has anyone ever told you that story?"

Pan crossed her arms, "Yes. My mom told me all about it. But why do we need it now?"

Bulma sighed and walked over to her desk. She pressed a small, square button and a computer monitor appeared, suspended in the air. She pressed some keys in midair and sat at the desk.

"Well, Vegeta wants to be able to train for several days at a time without missing much time out here. Partially because I'm sick of him practically living in the gravity machine."

Trunks scoffed, "Mom, I need to help her with this project! It says here that it's due… tomorrow…Pan!"

Pan laughed, "Oh, yeah…well what with being captured and all I kinda got a little side tracked."

Trunks relaxed and felt badly for scolding her. They had only just been released from the grasps of the saiyan madman. Pan turned back to Bulma before joining Trunks and said happily.

"I'm sure you'll succeed at creating the new chamber in no time!"

Bulma smiled, "The challenge is allowing a person to enter several times and for several days! The previous chamber only allowed a max of two days or two one day sessions. You couldn't physically enter the chamber for more than two sessions, because if you stayed for longer than that, you could never escape."

Pan turned white, "Well that's scary!"

Bulma giggled, "But I'm such a genius! I discovered how to fix this…I've got it up to four days without needing to emerge! If I could just get it to a week then I would get Vegeta off of my back…" Pan exchanged another polite smile with Bulma and bounded back over to Trunks. Things were getting a little too technical for her.

Trunks already had his black, thick-rimmed glasses on and was reading the cover page when he set it down for more questioning.

"Pan…how old are you again?"

She frowned, "Fifteen, duh!"

"How are you possibly eight years younger than me? I'm old…"

"Not that old. I wish I was 24." Pan answered.

Trunks chuckled. He motioned for Pan to take a seat. She prepared herself for a long night of work. Trunks wasn't one to let any detail slide.


	28. The Killer's Vanilla

Small beeping sounds buzzed and hissed in the silence. A faucet was dripping somewhere. Trunks felt cold, like he had been sleeping under the icy wind of a cold AC unit. He struggled between reality and dream world for several minutes, pulling his arms into his shirt for warmth.

Though his stomach was very warm and comforting to wrap his arms around within the polo shirt that he wore, his face continued to feel freezing cold. He wondered how he could have possibly fallen asleep on such a cold surface. He shifted his face a bit, but cold drool rolled down his cheek and caused him to slurp out a loud snore, waking him from dream world and into the darkness that was the room surrounding him.

He sat up painfully, stretching his back and lifting his arms high above his head. He watched the various blue and red lights around him blinking as they flickered on and off. He rubbed his eyes harshly, trying to rub away the sleepiness that completely engrossed his consciousness.

A yawn overtook him, swallowing his face into a long inhale. As he rolled his chair backwards to reach for the light above his desk, a blinding, white light lit up the surrounding area from his phone. He reached for it innocently at first, but quickly realized that this was not the first time he'd turned it off.

His face fell and his heart began to pound as he watched his hand reaching for the phone in slow motion. A cold sweat crept down his spine, causing his stomach muscles to clench and his eyes to strain.

"Please…please don't be late…"

He grasped the phone in his fingertips and gulped. The phone beckoned him to silence the vibrating alarm, but he resisted looking at the clock. He hit the side button and silenced the alarm without looking, but another alarm soon followed before his heart rate could slow.

"Ok Trunks, just look at the time. It'll be okay. You're fine."

His eyes traveled down to the screen and to his dismay, the clock read 7:20AM.

"Shit!" Trunks exclaimed.

He shot up from the rolly chair, sending it backwards into the darkness.

"Mmm?"

He heard not too far away from him. He jumped at the sound at first, thinking it was a ghost in the darkness. Trunks had always hated the basement.

When the realization of what was happening hit him, he whispered, "Pan?"

He heard shuffling about and grumbling.

"What's wrong? Why is it so dark?" She mumbled sleepily.

He could hear her rubbing her eyes and shifting about in the large, plush armchair that had been sitting empty and unused against the wall for as long as he could remember. Trunks reached up and switched on the desk light above their heads and lit up the area with a blinding light.

"Ah!" Pan growled, "Why didn't you warn me?"

Trunks checked his phone again, "I've gotta go. Grab your stuff!"

Trunks threw her papers at her. She scrambled to catch them all and rolled them up into a long tube.

"Gee, thanks!"

Trunks smiled and grabbed her around the waist.

"Trunks? What the hell are you doing?" Pan hollered as Trunks shot up the staircase at top speed.

"I'm late for a meeting. I'll drop you off on the way, you're late, too."

Pan kicked and thrashed in protest but Trunks had a grip that was impossible to break.

The surface air, free of electrical smells and beeps, broke in a refreshing blow as Trunks flung open the door and blasted down the quiet hallway. Goten stood in the kitchen in a business suit, eating a bagel.

"Hey! I was beginning to think you forgot that today was my first day…are we supposed to be there already? Does my suit look okay?...Are you okay?"

His voice became increasingly more worried as he watched Trunks dance anxiously in place, swinging Pan around.

"Trunks, put me down!" Pan cried as she swung helplessly.

"Never!" Trunks declared playfully.

Goten laughed, "Well then, let's go!"

They kicked off of the front porch and into the fresh, morning sky. The air was chilly, but not unusually so for November. Pan continued to protest her captor, but Trunks continued to hold on tight. He wasn't sure why, as Pan was perfectly capable of flying herself, but he felt like it was his responsibility to get her to school since he woke up so late.

Not far from Bulma's house, Pan's school began to appear on the horizon.

"Okay, Pan…bombs away!" Goten yelled, pinching Trunks on the arm and causing him to instantly drop her.

"Damn you, uncle Goten!" Pan yelled as she fell several feet before catching herself and landing near the school.

Trunks punched Goten in the arm, but laughed and continued ahead. Trunks thought it was strange that he was so chipper, but he supposed that was because Trunks offered him a way to pay for all of the responsibilities that were coming up. He wasn't sure if Goten told Bra that he'd be working for Capsule Corp, but he was glad that she was unable to work from her health. It would be weird if she were to work with them, too.

"Hey…so there's this meeting today…."

Goten smiled innocently, "Do you need me to take notes?"

Trunks frowned awkwardly, "Well, it's more like…just sit there and look smart. I don't have anything for you to do today but follow me around and learn the layout. I didn't tell anyone that I was hiring you, so they're gonna be like, who's that guy?"

Goten looked extremely pleased, "Sweet! I can do that! Sit around and look smart…alright!"

Trunks smiled at his childhood friend. How long it seemed since the last time Goten was content and joking around. Even seeing him laugh brought back a flood of happy memories.

When they were boys, Trunks could tell Goten anything. He was the one person that seemed to understand without all of the words. Trunks had such a hard time expressing his feelings in a direct way, especially when it came to girls. Goten learned his weird communicative language and simply let him talk out his problems through training or camping. Goten was always so good at outdoor activities. Whenever the city life felt like too much, he could count on Goten to bring him back to Earth with some crazy adventure in the country.

When they became teenagers, Goten began getting girlfriend after girlfriend, leaving Trunks to figure out most things on his own without the communication he'd relied on for so many years. His mother wanted perfect grades but didn't have the time to enforce it. His father couldn't have cared less and constantly criticized his lack of training. When his sister hit thirteen…it was all too much for him to keep track of.

College wasn't much different aside from Goten being glued to Marron's side. They joined the same fraternity, but the future CEO of Capsule Corp was hell-bent on getting perfect grades before partying. While Goten seamlessly aced every exam and every project without issue, Trunks stayed up all night studying and still struggled to get grades like Goten. Trunks always found it strange that even though his mother was the smartest woman in the world, he seemed to inherit his father's brain. There were a few girls, but never anything serious. Every girl always turned out to simply want a piece of the Brief fortune. It was well known who he was and how much money he had by the gadgets he carried around and the car he drove. Goten always rode a modest, normal bike, attracting the environmentalists and the health nut girls. Marron would prance around at his side and brag that out of all of the girls after him, she was the one he picked.

However, the memories turned dark after Goten proposed to Marron. He was always moody and aggravated. They fought more often than they spoke normally, but Goten often bragged of their makeup rituals and seemed to genuinely believe that it meant she forgave him every time. Trunks remembered the nights he sat awkwardly at an event as the third wheel, praying for someone foreign who wouldn't recognize him to walk in. That never happened.

Trunks frowned when he came upon a particularly rough memory of Marron and Goten's biggest fight.

Marron called Trunks sobbing one night out of the blue. She'd gotten into it with Goten about something petty, but instead of trying to work it out, Goten went out and got drunk. He continued his spiral and called her back, cussing and acting like a fool in public. Marron was humiliated and ready to end it right then and there.

Knowing the person that she was, Trunks felt leaving her to her own device could end badly. He rushed out to meet her downtown. She was sitting alone on a park bench, crying and drinking out of a paper bag with whiskey hidden inside. He'd never seen her so sad.

"Marron?" Trunks asked.

"Yeah? Whatcha want?" She answered drunkenly.

"Let me take you home. You can crash on my couch. You're gonna get arrested out here." Trunks offered with his hand extended.

Marron took him up on the offer, but when he laid her on his couch, she seemed hellbent on pouring all of her frustrations out to him. She told him of her suspicions of Goten cheating, her utter disappointment over his career change, and how she was almost certain that he no longer loved her. Trunks listened for hours without saying a word until the sun began to come up.

"Trunks?" Marron asked quietly.

"Yeah, Mare?" Trunks answered sleepily.

"You are…such an amazing guy. Thanks for listening to me rant all night…"

Marron hiccupped and let her head fall back on the couch. Trunks got up and adjusted her head on the pillow.

"Anytime…" he whispered.

He stood over her, watching her fall in and out of her dream world. She reached up for a hug, something not unheard of for her, but when he tried to hug her something more happened.

She lunged up and kissed him, madly and passionately. He tried to stop her, but one thing led to another.

Later that morning, Trunks laid beside her on the floor. He stared up at the ceiling wondering if he'd really done something wrong or if he'd saved her from her horrible relationship.

Once Marron slept for a few hours and sobered up, Trunks felt afraid to ask her if she remembered much about their night together. She never brought it up again. He never told Goten. A week later, their engagement was off.

Trunks shook his head. He hadn't thought of that night in a year, but losing Marron to her spontaneous move seemed to trigger it.

Goten startled him by banging into his shoulder, "Stop daydreaming! We're here!"

Goten dropped down and landing harshly, bounding up and straightening his jacket.

"You're stupid." Trunks said with a laugh as he, too, straightened his jacket.

The Capsule Corp building was a huge skyscraper in the center of West City. It rivaled the designs of the Empire State Building but contained the most advanced technology known to man. The large, black structure reflected the sunlight off of its many windows and disappeared into the clouds. Trunks watched Goten as he observed the area, smiling like a goof. He cleared his throat and motioned for Trunks to lead the way, so Trunks decided it was time to test his investment in hiring his friend.

"So you have your own office, right? Will I get an assistant desk?" Goten asked eagerly.

Trunks rolled his eyes, "Yes. You'll have your own office next to mine, no worries. Whatever you want."

Goten smiled and seemed to hold his breath as they entered the large, glass doors and stepped into the grand lobby of the building. The ceiling was sky high and painted like an ancient cathedral. There were angels, cherubs, all sorts of mythical creatures and biblical symbols.

"What's with the ceiling?" Goten asked as he marveled and twirled around slightly trying to take it all in.

"It was my mom's idea. She wanted it to feel majestic…that was the first step in her mind." Trunks answered matter of factly as he signed in on a computer at the reception desk.

The woman behind the counter handed him a badge and held up another for Goten.

"Have a fantastic day " the woman chimed, giggling at Goten's reaction to his surroundings.

As they walked away, Goten looked like he was beaming with pride.

"I feel so important!"

Trunks laughed, "Too bad your badge says trainee."

Goten looked down and frowned, "Damn. Oh, well."

Goten held his head high and continued to strut down the hallways, smiling at everyone. Trunks forgot how people act as newbies in the industry. He grew up in these halls. He knew everyone before he was even old enough to work. Definitely not people he wanted to spend his days smiling at, for the most part.

They approached a large conference room and Trunks stopped. He turned to Goten and took a deep breath.

"Here we go…remember, don't talk. Just look important." He whispered.

They pushed open the wooden door and Trunks felt the eyes of every person within the meeting burning into him as he walked solemnly to his seat. He wasn't usually late to these sorts of things, but it wasn't unheard of. He was the "young, whipper-snapper" after all.

The older clients and workers were quite disappointed when Bulma stepped down as CEO and passed the title to her young and inexperienced son. Trunks knew that fact. His face continued to turn beet red and heat up until he felt sweat dripping down his face and needed to loosen his tie a bit. He hated speaking publically.

"I'm…sorry that I'm late. We can begin this meeting now."

One of the older gentleman in the room pointed at Goten, "Who is this?"

Trunks swallowed hard, "This is…Goten Son."

Goten waved. His face was confident and completely lacked any nervous tendencies. He may not admit it, but Goku passed the best of his notable traits on to Goten for sure. No one could tell if he actually was important or just another nobody.

After an hour or so, the meeting adjourned and everyone but Trunks and Goten left the room. Trunks sat with his head in his hands and couldn't seem to speak. Goten placed a hand on Trunks' back.

"It'll be okay, man. You won't be gone long."

Trunks sighed and sat back in the chair.

"I've never been to America."

Goten smiled, "Look at it as a great opportunity! Besides, it's only five days. You'll be home on time for Thanksgiving!"

Trunks smiled, "Yes. To celebrate an American holiday with my Japanese friends and family. Well, technically my mom was born in the states…California, I think…maybe it's not so weird that we celebrate it."

Goten shrugged, "Any holiday with lots of food is sure to attract saiyans."

Trunks smiled and sighed, looking out the window hopelessly. The last place he wanted to go was to the place Marron ran off to hide from life and get away from him.


	29. The Realization

When Trunks and Goten returned home that night, Pan was at the house again. Trunks could see her sitting at the kitchen table with Bra looking at baby supplies online through the front window. Bra was never particularly close to Pan, but now that Goten was the father of Pan's soon-to-be niece or nephew, she was making the effort.

Trunks entered the kitchen and greeted the two who responded with distracted grunts while staring at the screen. He sat at the large, oak table and began to play with his phone. He began looking at random articles to ease the awkward silence. In his peripheral vision, he noticed that Pan was frequently looking up at him. Each time he tried to meet her gaze she would quickly return to Bra's computer screen and blush.

What a weird kid, he thought.

He couldn't believe that she was fifteen already. She was no longer the little girl that bounced around in a bandana with her grandfather's signature gi on. She had become a beautiful young woman who resembled her grandmother Chichi very closely. Trunks smiled as he thought about growing up with little Pan trailing around after them. She always looked up to Trunks and Goten so much, even if they never wanted her around when they were teenagers. He sometimes wished that she were just a little older so that she could do more activities with them, but that was his own private thought. He never intended to share with anyone how much he enjoyed having the spunky and cheerful Pan around to brighten up the day.

Goten wandered back to his room to change into sweatpants and a hoodie before joining the others. He strolled into the kitchen yawning and stretching, greeting Bra with a kiss on the head. He leaned over the back of her chair and placed his arms around her.

"Are you feeling better?" Goten asked sweetly.

"Much better…have you seen this site? There's so much to buy!" Bra said, distracted by Pan's scrolling.

He propped his chin on her head and stared at the screen with wide eyes. Trunks almost laughed out loud. He knew that Goten must be looking at the price tags. It would only be a matter of time before he learned truly how much money Bra spent on a daily basis. She really had no regard for money since Vegeta entrusted her with a personal credit card against Bulma's wishes. Their father adored Bra and gave her whatever she desired, partially creating the greedy little monster she was presently.

"Goten…do you think it's a boy or a girl?" Bra asked, breaking the silence.

Goten squinted as though thinking critically, "Well…I think it's a boy."

Pan frowned, "Why can't it be girl?"

Goten flicked her shoulder, "I didn't say it couldn't be…it's just the Son family is better known for having boys. You were a luck of the draw."

Pan crossed her arms and stuck out her tongue at her goofy uncle. Goten and Pan grew up more like brother and sister since he was only seven when Pan was born. With Gohan playing father and often losing every battle to an angry, teenaged Goten, Pan's leash was tight and short. She often blamed Goten for her lack of freedom.

Bra continued to stare ahead, ignoring the bickering, until she chimed in wistfully.

"I think it's a girl."

Goten returned to his post on her head, "Why is that, hun?"

Bra smiled, "I just have a feeling."

Goten nuzzled into her shiny, blue hair, "Whatever you say. I'm happy either way."

Pan smiled and relaxed, but glanced at Trunks longingly. He caught her eye for a split second before she got up and excused herself from the room. He wondered what was going on with her.

A knock at the front door startled them all. Trunks hopped up to get it, tripping over the chair and nearly falling. Straightening his shirt, he rose up and shrugged at his lack of balance. They laughed while he answered the door with a smile. When they couldn't hear Trunks talking, Goten rushed to see who was there.

Mikio and Kazuko stood hand-in-hand, staring at Trunks. He was silent and shaking, afraid to move. Trunks wasn't known for holding back when he was angry.

In an instant, Goten flew forward and grabbed Mikio by the collar of his shirt. He began to shake him furiously. Kazuko started yelling and punching at Goten's arm, but she was no match for his saiyan grip. Trunks stood guard, watching, but couldn't bring himself to separate them. He was far too eager to hurt Mikio himself to stop Goten from injuring him. A cold smile spread across his face when Goten punched Mikio and sent him flying across the yard.

"Goten, stop!" Kazuko cried.

Trunks heard Bra hop off of her chair and head towards the commotion. He made eye contact with her. She looked furious. He could have sworn that her eyes flashed a neon-purple color for a moment before returning to their normal, sparkling blue.

"You don't have to worry…uncle Goten can take care of this!" Pan said, grabbing Bra's arm protectively.

Bra smacked her away.

"I need answers."

Her face was stone cold and completely lacked emotion. She began to approach the door, but Trunks held out a hand.

"Bra…you can't lose control again. Dad is out in the capsule training…I can get him."

Bra pushed Trunks aside, knocking him to the ground with a swift motion. Pan gasped and ran to help him up.

"I'm fine, Pan. I just don't know what to do right now." He said, taking Pan's hand and steading himself against the wall nearest the staircase.

Bra stepped out into the yard and stood beside Goten. In a flash of light, she grabbed Kazuko and transformed into her super saiyan form. Goten transformed as well and snatched Mikio up from the ground. He held him up by his shirt as Bra clutched Kazuko dangerously tight around the neck. The sight of two super saiyan parents was terrifying. Trunks felt quite grateful in that moment that his mother was a human. Pairing Vegeta with another saiyan could destroy the universe, he thought.

"Stop! She's just a human! You'll kill her!" Mikio yelled with fear in his eyes.

"Help!" Kazuko cried.

"Tell me everything you know about my baby right now or she will pay the price for what you've done." Bra growled in a deep and furious tone.

Goten threw Mikio forward and added firmly, "You have thirty seconds to answer her or I'll let her do whatever she wants. No stopping her this time."

Mikio began to panic.

"Okay…Okay I'll tell you whatever you want to know. Please don't hurt her…she insisted on coming. She doesn't know anything about this!"

Bra's translucent eyes glowed greenish-pink as her flames died down slightly. Goten took notice and tried to get a better look, but they turned back to green before he could examine them closer. Strange, he thought.

"Fine." She stated simply, dropping Kazuko hard onto the ground.

Kazuko's raspberry colored hair flew every which way in the wind generated by the ferocious power of Bra's form as she fell. She crawled back to Mikio and held onto him as he pulled her up.

"I don't have time for games. What is wrong with my baby?" Bra took a step forward, generating energy in her palms.

"Your baby will live. There is no possible way that she could die. Not now that you've carried her this long."

"What do you mean transformation? And how do you know that it's a girl?" Goten asked, stunned by the new information.

Mikio sighed loudly, "If it were a boy, the experiment would have gone very differently. The fact that it's alive and growing without turning you into a raging psychopath means that the gene mutated into a female. Initial experiments showed that male specimens were highly unpredictable and violent…they killed their hosts within days."

"Specimens?" Goten asked, losing patience.

Bra lowered her hand and reduced her energy blast to almost nothing with a look of disgust on her face.

"Of course there were preliminary trials before the big move. Human women of course…maybe that had something to do with it."

Bra's eyes filled with sorrow as she stared at Mikio in disbelief. She thought of the poor, defenseless women who were made to carry the spawn of a madman. Suddenly she felt very grateful to be alive, but terrified to know anything further.

After a long pause Bra asked quietly, "What will my baby become…?"

Mikio shook his head and smiled.

"She will be everything and anything she wants to be. Brains…brawn…she'll be spectacular."

Bra dropped her arms completely and transformed back to normal. Her hair burst from its golden spikes and fell around her shoulders in showers of blue.

"Keep talking."

Mikio smirked.

"You know that I am a saiyan, too. I want everything for our race that you do. I recognize King Vegeta as our ruler and you as our princess. I wouldn't lie to you again…I have decided to continue our friendship and cast aside my father's regime. After I learned of his death, at your hands, I was angry…so I was unfair and cruel to you both at the hospital…I'm sorry. I only wish to continue our friendship. I see now just how wrong he was about everything. The world is a better place without his crazy ass."

Trunks looked down at Pan in disbelief. He had a very hard time believing anything that Mikio said, but this statement did seem genuine.

Pan peered up at him and whispered, "Trunks…I'm scared."

"Why? It's okay…we've got more than enough power to get rid of him if we need to…"

Pan looked down at her feet. She thought for a moment and looked as though it was painful to continue.

"That girl out there isn't Bra."

"She's a mother now, Pan. Things are going to be different. You'll understand one day."

Pan looked injured by his words and crossed her arms. Nothing bothered Pan more than being called a child.

When the tension released between the angry parents and the apologetic friends, Goten turned to Trunks with tears in his eyes.

"It's a girl, man…"

Trunks and Pan both smiled at him, but as he turned back to Bra and the two visitors, Pan snapped, "I'm telling you, I've got a bad feeling. I wish I could fight like you…maybe I could help protect her if something bad happens. Something is not right."

Trunks smiled and patted Pan on the head.

"You are perfect the way you are. I'm sure you'll be a super saiyan soon…until then it's our job to protect you."

Pan blushed and took a step closer to Trunks.

"I know you think that I'm just a dumb teenager, but I'm not sure I'll have this chance again."

Before he could respond, Pan grabbed his sleeve and pulled him down to her level. She pecked him on the cheek and backed away quickly.

"Pan! What the…"

He surprised himself with his negative reaction. She looked like she was about to cry. She was far too young to be acting like this in his mind.

"It's okay. It won't happen again…until I'm older."

She winked at his dumbfounded face and took off into the sky towards East District. As he watched her, his face was hot and red. His level of embarrassment couldn't possibly be higher. He snapped out of his trance and realized that Goten could have seen, but their conversation was still carrying on with Mikio.

With a racing heart, Trunks leaned against the wall and exhaled. He couldn't comprehend all of the feelings that he was experiencing. The first thought that came to his mind was Marron. He hadn't heard from her again, though it had only been a day, but he wished she'd at least sent a text when she arrived in America. He worried that she might not be okay, but her exit was so hurtful the previous day that he couldn't bring himself to text her and ask if she was in fact doing fine. After all, she did say that she didn't feel the same way about him.

In a frenzy of worry, he summed up the moment with Pan as an extension of his true feelings for Marron and ceased all thoughts of what she'd just done. He had to find Marron when he flew to the USA. He had to tell her how he felt and get her back to Japan. He had to prove to her that she belonged with him and stop messing around with his lack of emotions. If he'd only been honest with her sooner, perhaps she wouldn't have left.

"Trunks!" Goten snapped him back to Earth.

"What?" Trunks responded flatly.

"I'm gonna be a daddy to a little girl!" Goten waltzed back inside to the computer on the table.

Trunks looked out into the yard, "What happened with Mikio?"

"They left."

She leaned her head against the door and placed a hand on her belly.

"Lace." She said in a whisper.

Goten peered up at her from behind the computer.

"What? C'mere and look at this stuff with me!"

"Lace." Bra said again, still staring ahead as though looking straight through Trunks.

"What lace?" Trunks looked around at the floor. "I don't see any…"

"Her name is Lace. I've decided…" Her eyes turned purple again, but changed back to blue in an instant.

"I like it…but what's wrong with your eyes?" Trunks asked, "They keep turning…"

Bra held up a hand.

"Shut up!"

"Don't talk to me like that. I'm just asking because I care. You have been acting…well, like a different person these past few days! I don't know what to do with you anymore, sis!"

"You are unbelievable." Bra exclaimed dramatically, storming past him into the house and slamming her bedroom door.

"Well now you did it, genius…" Goten laughed as he scrolled through a plethora of pink websites.

Trunks sighed and wandered into the kitchen. He sat down beside Goten and stared at the screen.

"Hey where'd Pan go?" Goten asked with little concern.

"Uh…not sure. Guess she just went home…"

Goten shrugged. Clearly things had once again gotten weird in the Brief household, but Trunks decided to stay focused on the task at hand: Operation get Marron back.

He wandered up to his old bedroom and closed the door behind him, locking it for good measure. It was time to make the call. He was going to call Marron and tell her everything. He didn't care about her feelings for Goten and he didn't care that she was in another country. He was willing to chase her to the ends of the Earth to confess his love. He began to scroll through his phone for her number. When he landed on her name, his heart began to beat faster and faster. He was ready. He hastily hit the call button and waited for the sound of her voice.


	30. Aliens and Stars

Pan's black hair swayed in the wind. She was sitting on the bricks that lined the outside of Capsule Corp's gates and thinking about what she could possibly do to get Trunks to notice her. Clearly her advance towards him was not welcomed, but that was probably only because of her age. She was certainly not a little girl anymore, but in her mind she was practically a woman.

She'd matured greatly since following Trunks and her uncle Goten around and begging for them to train with her. It was obvious. However, with her mother being pregnant, Pan had been feeling a bit left out lately. School was uninteresting and dull. Grades were the farthest thing from the top of her priority list. Friends were hard to come by. Trunks was still gone.

It had been six weeks since Trunks left for America. Pan could only assume that he'd reunited with Marron and decided to stay for a while. He wouldn't answer her texts. Training harder was the only thing that distracted her from the pain of rejection. She told herself that it was a long shot anyway, but that didn't ease the sting.

As she sat there in the cold, bundled up in her thick winter coat and warm hat, an approaching power level startled her. She jumped off of the line of bricks and looked around ready for a fight. It was starting to get dark and the lights above weren't much help to see down the street, making her a little nervous. She thought about jumping into the air, but as she felt around in the darkness, the ki didn't feel threatening. Still, it was foreign to her and not like any of the saiyans that she recognized. Her first thoughts were that she would be kidnapped again if she didn't act soon.

"Hello, Pan."

A smooth, light voice spoke to her from the darkness.

"Who's there?" Pan stood her ground and readied herself for a fight. Her heart began to pound as fear built inside of her.

"Woah, please don't be alarmed. It's just me, Tarble."

Pan relaxed, "Oh! I'm so sorry, sir…"

She bowed her head to him in apology. She knew that he wasn't accustomed to being an earthling yet, so she felt obligated to show him a bit more respect than she would if it were simply another person that she knew.

"Oh…please. I don't want to bother you. I just saw you over here alone. Are you alright?"

He was so polite and sweet compared to Vegeta, Pan thought. It was hard to believe that they were related.

She sighed and crossed her arms, "I'm just…going through some stuff."

Tarble walked over to her and sat on the bricks next to where she stood.

"I understand that…"

He looked at the sidewalk with sad eyes that seemed to carry the weight of the world within them. Pan sat back down beside him.

He was very small, only a tiny bit taller than Pan. His age didn't show nearly as much as Vegeta and Goku's did. Even though saiyans retained their youth for much longer than humans did, it seemed like Tarble was much younger than Vegeta. His face looked young enough to pass for a twenty-something.

"Say…how old are you?" Pan asked inquisitively.

Tarble looked surprised but thought for a moment.

"Oh…uh…in human years…I suppose that you could say I am 35."

Pan sighed. He's way too old to be sitting out here alone with her. What was her deal lately with older men? Pan laughed at her thoughts, prompting Tarble to ask what was so funny.

She sighed loudly.

"I'm just…a magnet for trouble."

Tarble looked confused.

"Trouble? But you seem like such a sweet girl. You remind me a lot of my late wife."

Pan suddenly felt awful. She had completely forgotten that the saiyan guards that took them all captive killed his wife, Gure, in cold blood.

His face was full of sadness again when her eyes met his.

"I'm really sorry, Mr..uh…Tarble."

He smiled, "Please just call me Tarble. The formalities on this planet baffle me. I spent most of my time on a planet that valued others as individuals no matter their status of royalty or lack thereof. I find it quite strange to be referred to as anything but my given name."

Pan marveled at his speech. It was eloquent, with a certain accent that Vegeta possessed as well. She found herself wanting to hear him say more just to examine the accent alone.

She stood up again, ready to head home.

"Where are you off to?" He asked politely.

"I'm going home I suppose…I don't know what I thought I was doing here anyways."

Tarble looked down at his feet.

"Well, if I'm not mistaken, you have feelings for Trunks?"

Pan turned bright red and nearly fell down at his lack of subtlety.

"I don't!...I can't!...I'm not!..." Pan stammered on for a few moments before Tarble laughed.

His laugh was light and warm, like a ray of sunshine on a rainy day. Pan stopped talking and put her hands in her puffy coat's pockets.

"I am too young for him. He'll only ever see me as a little sister."

Tarble nodded his head in understanding.

"Is that your only reason for not pursing a relationship with him?"

Pan blushed violently, "Well…yes…"

Tarble sighed, "On my planet, age was not an issue. Of course, the people there didn't age or look anything like saiyans…or humans. I sometimes wish that I could turn back the clock and grow up here on this planet. It would certainly help me to understand your strange customs that my brother has grown so fond of."

Pan stood with a lost look on her face. She desired to be older more than anything. She would gladly skip the next five years of her life in an instant if it meant that she had a chance to be with Trunks. Yet here this grown man stands, wishing to be young again? It all made no sense to Pan.

"So…how old would you want to be?" She asked out of curiosity as she began to kick around a small rock on the road in front of them.

"I'm not sure…if I had to give an age based on human aging…probably just at the start of manhood."

Pan choked, "Manhood?"

She felt severely embarrassed, but he didn't seem to take it the same way that she did.

"Perhaps somewhere in my mid teens."

Pan sighed with relief.

"What did you think that I was referring to?" He asked, clueless to the corruption that Pan's mind contained.

"Oh, nothing. I mean…I wish that I was at least eighteen."

Tarble cocked his head to one side and asked innocently, "Why?"

She sighed. He really was an alien.

"That's the age when you can do whatever you want! I could move out, get a real job…the possibilities are endless when you turn eighteen!"

Tarble smiled with wide eyes, "Really? That's exciting!"

Pan rubbed her head. He was so terribly innocent. A question was burning in her mind, and before she could stop it, she word vomited all over the situation.

"So did you and your wife have any kids?"

Tarble looked confused by her question. He paused and looked down at his dangling feet. Pan felt stupid for asking and tried to quell the situation.

"I'm sorry, that was impolite of me. It's none of my business…"

Tarble looked up with a very serious expression.

"It's not that we didn't want any children, it's just that it was simply impossible."

Pan returned to her seat next to him and pulled one of her legs up underneath her.

"So…you can't have kids?"

Tarble seemed confused, "I'm not really sure. I meant that it was impossible for me to mate with her species."

Pan felt a bloody nose coming on from pure humiliation at his non-existent modesty.

"Mate?" She exclaimed.

Tarble shrugged, "Yes, well…I know that saiyans had a mating ceremony and shortly after would own a child to be sent to another planet and continue their parents work, but I never got to participate in that. I'm not really sure how it works. When I asked Gure, she simply said that it was impossible, so I didn't ask again."

Pan was utterly fascinated.

"So you have no idea how this…mating…actually occurred?"

She felt like a pervert for asking such a question, but she was starting to realize that she had to ask him direct questions or he would give her another indirect answer.

"I really don't. It's quite fascinating to me, the events occurring with Vegeta's daughter. I never imagined a life where parents were so nurturing to their young. It's heartwarming to see my brother acting this way in anticipation."

Pan had just about enough complete insanity for the night.

"Well…on that note…"

She began to rise, but Tarble reached out and grabbed her arm.

"Listen, you are quite interesting to talk to. Bulma seems to be busy with work and Vegeta will not train with me. Would you like to train together tomorrow? I feel left out…I am the only one who can't transform it seems…I never had proper training."

Pan scowled, "I can't transform, either."

Tarble released her arm, but continued holding her gaze contently.

"Oh…well, perhaps we can help each other, then!"

His smile was large and bright, causing Pan to feel obligated to agree. It couldn't be too bad of an idea.

"Well…I will under one circumstance…"

Tarble nodded his head eagerly.

"You have got to get rid of that tail!"

Tarble's face twisted into that of complete horror.

"What? My tail? But…but why would you even suggest that?"

Pan rolled her eyes, expecting to know what he was about to say.

"A saiyan's tail is his lifeline. I am quite aware of the power that I possess in keeping my tail on a foreign planet. I would never put myself in a position to destroy a life. I love life."

He unwrapped his tail from his waist and held it loosely in his hands.

"This is a symbol of the life that I live. I choose how to live it, and I certainly choose to keep my tail until I die."

Pan looked at him completely baffled. She began to turn away, but Tarble stopped her again.

"You must alter your clothing to hide your tails here, right? I haven't been able to tell any of you have one."

Pan threw her hand up and rested her face in her palm.

"No…mine was cut off when I was born."

Tarble practically fell off of the wall in horror.

"What? Removed? By whom? What a horrible thing!"

Pan couldn't help but laugh.

"All of our tails are removed. Your brother almost killed everyone when he transformed in a great ape, so did my dad…so after my dad's was removed, my parents decided not to let any future saiyans keep their tails. Uncle Goten, Trunks and Bra's are all gone, too."

Tarble squealed in pain and wrapped his back around his waist protectively.

"Please do not remove mine! I would like to keep it! I won't go outside on a full moon! I promise! Just help me train during the day!"

Pan threw up her arms in surrender and scoffed, "Fine! I'll help you."

He smiled and hopped up. He threw his arms around her in joy. Pan felt her face heat up and pushed him away, "What are you doing?"

He laughed at her, "Perhaps we can take a good walk around the area as well? I'm afraid to go too far away from this home because I won't be able to find my way back. I would have come back so much sooner had I not gotten lost in another city. Living on your own is very difficult on Earth. I have a horrible sense of direction."

Pan looked at him with disbelief, "Can't you just fly? You should be able to feel Vegeta's ki, too…"

Tarble looked ashamed, "I'm not so good with either of those things…perhaps that can be our first lesson!"

Pan shrugged and gave up trying to justify any reasons why she couldn't help him. He was like trying to explain something to a curious five-year-old.

The next day, Pan walked to Capsule Corp after school instead of flying. She knew that he would be waiting in the same spot, but didn't want to rush. She was dreading this "session" as though it were a form of studying, her least favorite activity. She told Videl and Gohan that she was getting extra help from Bulma, so she figured that she'd have at least until after dinner time to work with Tarble. It had to take long enough to be convincing.

Sure enough, as she approached the Brief home, there he was. He was sitting with a book of some sort, reading intently and ignoring his surroundings. His tail waved around happily behind him without a single thought of someone cutting it off. She decided to use this as a serious training moment. Without hesitation, she kicked off of the ground and blasted towards Tarble. She spiraled full speed at him and grabbed his tail. She stood next to him on the sidewalk, tail in hand, laughing at his lack of focus.

Tarble sat completely still, holding the book tightly, but with a look of total dismay on his face. His Vegeta-like features appeared like a softened version of the hardcore warrior as Tarble trembled at the hands of a mere quarter-saiyan. Pan laughed evily and let go of his tail, throwing it towards him. He fell to the ground and sat there, completely frozen in fear.

"Why…why would you do that? I told you that I didn't want to lose my tail!"

Pan sighed, "Rule number one…always have your guard up! Anyone could have seen you waving that thing around! That means anyone could come up and cut it right off!"

She made a chopping motion with her hand and laughed when Tarble squeaked in fear.

"I'm sorry!" He wrapped his tail tightly around his waist, "I won't do it again!"

Pan felt superior to this man. He said that he's thirty-five, but he acted as though he was an equal to her. There were no feelings of seniority or authority, only that of gratitude and respect. It was refreshing. She decided that spending some quality time with Tarble wasn't going to be so bad after all.

Hours flew by as she trained and sparred with Tarble. He was quick, smart and gutsy with his attacks, but Pan's experience bested him every time. She got him to fly much faster simply by flying at her normal speed. His desire to keep up with her was great enough to inspire all sorts of accomplishments that should have taken weeks to achieve. She enjoyed his quick progress, but in the back of her mind worried that he would transform before her if she didn't slow him down. He was a natural.

"Does your family require you home?" Tarble asked as they rested in a nearby field to catch their breath.

"No. No one even notices that I'm gone. My dad thinks that Bulma is tutoring me in school work, so he lets me stay out."

Tarble laughed, "I don't see how that can be of importance. I saw the work that you did with Trunks on your project. You left it there for him to see with the letter on top, right? I don't understand how that can help you in life."

Pan smiled widely, "Exactly!"

Exhausted, she laid back on the soft grass and stared up at the starry sky. It was dark enough to see some stars, but still lit by the city lights. Tarble laid back with a thud next to Pan, rather close to her side. She felt a warm pull in her stomach but continued staring up.

"I love this planet. It's so beautiful." He said softly.

She rolled over and looked at him, "So…what does it look like from the other planet?"

Tarble smiled, not moving his gaze from the stars.

"It's bluer. It never looks quite this dark there. There's also multiple moons and other planets around. You can see all of them so clearly…so much bigger, too. This planet has such a tiny, single moon."

Pan was mesmerized by his descriptions. His eyes were big, bright pools of black as he admired the view and seemed to enjoy the feeling of grass beneath him.

"Did your planet have grass?" Pan asked, feeling the cool blades in her hand.

Tarble looked to his side and pulled out a clump.

"Not like this. It was harder, more like…plastic. It was also purple in color."

Pan scrunched up her face in disgust and laughed.

"That's so weird!" She exclaimed, but Tarble shrugged.

"Your planet is very…weird. I never imagined so much…" He paused long enough for Pan to feel awkward in the silence.

"What?" She finally asked.

"Life." He breathed.

Pan blushed. What a beautiful thing to say. She could guarantee that no one she currently knew besides Tarble would say such a thing. Earth was a scary place full of evil and hate. He had no idea about any of that, though.

She sat up and decided she should head home. Tarble watched her get up and held out a hand playfully for help getting himself off of the cool Earth.

"I really had a good time today, Pan."

Pan smiled, "Me too!"

Tarble looked at the ground inquisitively.

"So…I have this theory. I'd like to test it tomorrow if you aren't too busy?"

Pan responded energetically, "Of course not! Let's check it out!"

He grinned from ear to ear, "Perfect! Same time, same place, then."

Pan gave him a thumbs up and kicked off into the air. She watched him turn into a small, black dot in the field of dancing grass.

When she arrived the next day, Tarble was sitting on the grass with another book, tail wrapped, and waving at her from a distance. She smiled at the thought that he was using his senses to feel her ki instead of waiting to see her with his eyes. She shot forward, landing next to him.

"I don't have as much time today…my parents didn't believe that I was with Bulma for so long yesterday. We'll have to make it quick. What was the theory that you had in mind?"

Tarble rose to his feet. "I didn't tell you something about myself. I feel it's important to divulge if we are to continue this friendship."

She looked at him confused, "What do you mean?"

He sighed, turning away from her and crossing his arms.

"I'm…highly intelligent."

Pan laughed and rolled her eyes.

"What?"

She wondered if all of the training from previous day made him delirious.

"My planet had extremely advanced technology. I was exploring Bulma's lab and…well, she doesn't come close to what I worked on with Gure."

Pan's mouth fell open.

"You're telling me that all of that gibber-gabber down there makes sense to you?"

Tarble turned to face her with a confused look, "Yes? What is 'gibber-gabber'?"

She dropped her crossed arms in disbelief. When she didn't answer, Tarble quickly moved on to the next thought.

"I want to try something, but I'll need you to come with me to test the hypothesis."

He started towards the house, but Pan grabbed his arm.

"Wait, wait, wait…you sat there and told me that my school work was unimportant but you are a super genius?"

Tarble shrugged, "It is obsolete, yes."

Pan continued to feel totally baffled by this strange saiyan. He was so innocent, yet so experienced. His sweet smile seemed so pure, yet his intelligence was completely wise and mature. Pan felt her cheeks getting warm as she thought about his weird allure, but shook her head and tried to stay level headed.

"What are you going to show me? Tell me now."

Tarble took her hand, "Let me show you instead!"

He started running towards the back of the house, dragging her along.

"What are we doing?"

He looked from side to side, leaning up against the side of the round house.

"We're sneaking into the lab!"

Pan's hair practically stood on end. "What do you mean sneaking in? There's a back door? And why not just go in from the inside?"

Tarble sighed, "So many questions for such a young girl…"

Pan scoffed, "You are like an inch taller than me!"

He smiled. Was this his way of flirting? She felt totally confused.

"Ok!" He exclaimed quietly, grabbing her hand again and tossing her forward. "Let's go!"

A small window sat just above ground, tilted open slightly. It was just large enough that they could shimmy through it.

"I unlocked this earlier today when Bulma left. Vegeta is inside eating between training sessions right now, so we have to use this way."

Pan suddenly felt a rush of adrenaline. She'd never done anything so devious.

After they both slipped through the tiny window, Tarble locked it and ran over to a large tarp covering the wall. Pan realized what it was and gasped.

"Tarble! I can't go in there! What if it doesn't work and we get stuck?"

Tarble looked offended, "It's my work…of course it will work."

Pan came closer and he ripped down the tarp, revealing a large golden door. Tarble beamed proudly.

"I've re-calibrated it for two people. My age will reverse, while yours will increase! It's exactly what you wanted!"

Pan looked skeptical, "So…I just go inside and I'll age?"

He nodded, "Precisely."

"But how will you…get younger?"

"It's a simple equation really. These machines…I've heard of them but I've never seen one. It's a portal to another dimension. If you know how to set the clock, if you will, you can calibrate it to do all sorts of things. It's a little like time-splicing."

He started to fiddle with the many knobs and dials outside of the door that Pan remembered seeing Bulma work on.

"So…we train in here…right?"

Tarble nodded again.

"Yes. We can finally achieve super saiyan form! We will have five years of training advantage."

Pan frowned. "Okay…so I'll be like twenty and you'll be…thirty? I thought you wanted to be younger."

Tarble smiled proudly, "This is where it gets very interesting! I will reverse age at twice the speed, while you age slower. You will only reach the age of eighteen and I will reach the age of twenty-five!"

Pan scowled, "I don't get it."

Tarble smiled, "Well…just trust me. Isn't that what you want? No more high school and no more homework? Trunks?"

Pan's face lit up. Trunks, of course! If she aged, he would have no excuse to avoid her anymore! She could finally convince him that she was the one for him. No more secret crushing and awkward conversations.

"Let's do this!" Tarble opened the door excitedly, "Together!"

He held out a hand. Pan took it and followed him in. The door shut loudly behind them. Five days would pass before they could emerge, completely different people and evolved saiyans. This was Pan's dream come true.


	31. Mixcola

Six weeks had passed since Trunks left for America. Though the initial plan was for him to stay on business for a week, he continued to extend the trip to visit sites and enjoy the country. America was beginning to grow on him.

Goten had a sneaking suspicion about what he was actually doing, but felt uncomfortable asking. It must be nice to be the president of a company and have the authority to do whatever you want, he thought as he stared at Trunks' empty office once morning.

Even if Goten decided to ask Trunks straight out, he never shared his personal thoughts or feelings unless absolutely necessary. Even if the company did become bothered by his absence, which would never happen, he would always give a solid business excuse. He'd always gotten especially secretive and creative with explanations when a woman was involved.

Growing up with Bulma as a mother certainly prepared him for a lifetime of getting away with whatever he wanted without divulging any details at all. Despite his clear message that he was doing perfectly well, Goten worried a bit about Trunks running after Marron.

Only nights before, Pan told Goten about Marron's conversation with Trunks before leaving. Goten felt that her actions weren't out of character. Marron was seriously messed up from her father's death, her mother's new relationship with Yamcha and the fact that Bra was pregnant by her very own ex-fiancé. The poor girl didn't know what to do with her life.

America was an easy out for her to start over and of course she took it without thinking. She never thought about decisions long before acting on them. It was one of the things that Goten had such a problem with about her. With the two of them being the most compulsive people on the planet, their decisions together were never good ones and were never discussed long before they actually happened. She was certainly not the best influence on Goten, but their families were always close. He wasn't sure if Chichi would ever accept Bra the way that she accepted Marron.

Goten sat at his desk writing a report on some data from Trunks when his new, shiny phone started buzzing. He smiled when the love of his life showed up on the screen smiling.

"Hey, babe!" Goten chimed, "I've been thinking about you a lot today."

Bra giggled, "Yeah? Well wait until you get home! I've been working on something…your mom came over today to spend some time with me."

Goten nearly choked on the coffee he'd begun to sip out of his Capsule Corp mug.

"My mom came there? To see you?"

Bra's face fell into a classic Bulma scowl, "Well, yeah…she isn't heartless, you know."

Goten wiped some coffee off of his chin and keyboard.

"I'm just saying…it's weird. Did dad come?"

Bra laughed, "Yes, but he's outside sparring with my dad. Pan came with her and is around here somewhere. Videl stayed home with Gohan. I guess she's not feeling well today." Goten began to space out a bit and stared out the windows that lined his office wall. Though his office wasn't directly next to the outside windows, he did have a clear view of the long hallway up to Trunks' office and could see when people of importance were about to visit. Unfortunately for him, the second in command had real disdain for Trunks. In turn, he also hated Goten. His bland, pale suit was barely visible at the end of the royally carpeted hallway.

"Babe…I gotta go. The boss is coming!" Goten practically screamed at his phone, beating it senselessly to hang up.

The man placed a hand on Goten's glass door's handle and entered without knocking.

"Well, well…if it isn't the faithful servant here all by himself again."

Goten shot to his feet and stared at the ground.

"Uh…yes…hello, sir."

The man smoothed his black mustache with his pointer finger before walking about the office and observing the surroundings.

"This is an awfully nice office for such an unimportant employee…if Trunks doesn't get back here to defend your keep soon, I may have to move you to a more…communal…location."

Goten swallowed hard. He was never very good with authority, especially disrespectful authority, but there was something about this man that seriously frightened the living hell out of him.

The slender man sat down in one of the leather chairs in front of Goten's desk and crossed his leg over the other. His large, expensive watch glistened under the florescent lights above.

"I have a proposition for you."

Goten pulled out his chair and sat down nervously.

"I would like for you to retrieve our missing CEO from his hiatis. Things around here are…" He looked out the windows and down the hall before turning back to Goten, "Hectic."

Goten leaned back in his chair in an attempt to look more authoritative, but almost fell backwards out of the chair and scooted up to the desk awkwardly.

"Um…he's been in contact with me daily. He sends me data and reports to file and itemize and he's been closing new deals with companies in California all the way to New York."

The impatient man's face was stone cold and unchanging.

"So…will you go or do I have to fire you and hire someone who will? I only ask because I'm assuming that you two are…close."

He looked down onto Goten's mahogany desk and motioned towards the lone picture that adorned the surface. The black frame held a picture that Goten took a few weeks ago of him and Bra sitting on the staircase of the Brief home.

"I can also assume that the youngest child of the Brief family is the reason that you were hired with no prerequisites or qualifications for the job."

Goten began to feel a cold sweat creep down his spine.

He stuttered slightly, "I'm…I…well I guess I could travel."

The boss clapped his hands together suddenly, nearly sending Goten through the ceiling.

"Excellent. I knew that I could count on you. All expenses paid, of course. I'll let my assistant know to arrange everything. You'll leave tomorrow."

He got up from the chair and took another look at the photograph, "She is beautiful that one. Just as stunning as her mother."

He smiled a crooked grin. Goten instantly felt protective and uneasy at his tone.

"I will be in touch."

Goten stiffly walked to his door and held it open for his superior, but wanted to drop it in his face as he slithered back into the hallway. Goten had a strange feeling that he knew him from somewhere else, but he couldn't decide where and definitely didn't know his face. It was more of a vibe than anything else.

That night, Goten arrived home to his condo that he'd bought with Bra. It was good to have a place of his own, no longer living off of Bulma and Vegeta and certainly far away from his mother. He didn't remember until he opened the door and smelled the cooking that Chichi had come for a visit.

"Goten!" The familiar voice filled his head with a horrible dread before he got attacked with a hug. "I've been missing you all day! I had a fantastic day with your future wife…turns out that she's quite the little cook!"

Bra stepped out of the kitchen holding a large bowl. She was wearing a pink apron, identical to Chichi's, and an adorable white cook hat to keep her long hair away from the food. She was still stirring the contents of the bowl furiously, but smiled at Goten and blew him a kiss before returning to the kitchen.

She was about three months pregnant now, but looked much further along. According to Vegeta, saiyan women were never pregnant for as long as human women. Since they'd never experienced a saiyan woman giving birth before, they assumed Bra could go into labor at any time. She was growing tired of the constant hovering.

Goku sat on the couch to the right of Goten and turned to his son warmly.

"Goten! I love this tv! I've never really watched one this big before…I could sit here all day!"

Goten laughed as he hung his leather jacket on the hooks next to the front door.

"I'm surprised you're here. Weren't you sparring with Vegeta?"

Goku shrugged, "Your mom called me and said there was food."

He smiled happily. Goten forgot how easy it was to distract his father from anything with the right amount of food.

"That's cool, dad…"

Goten walked into the living area and sat down with a thud. He dreaded the conversation he was about to have, especially with Bra as pregnant as she was. Going to America was the last thing he wanted to do at this point in time.

"What's up with you, son? You look kinda down…" Goku asked innocently.

Goten sighed and looked over his shoulder to make sure Chichi and Bra were safely out of hearing distance.

"The office wants to me to go to America and convince Trunks to come back."

Goku looked shocked, "But…what about…"

Goten slapped a hand over Goku's mouth.

"I haven't told her yet. This all just went down. I'm gonna try to call him tonight to avoid this…it's not my intention to go, but they are going to demote me if Trunks doesn't get back here and defend my job!"

He released Goku from his death grip and slid back into the large, puffy couch.

"I just want him to come back here. Honestly, I can't afford any of this without that job. Trunks is paying me way too much…but I like it."

He ran his hands over the soft, green sofa and put one of the designer pillows behind his head.

"Bra doesn't spare any expense."

Goku looked around at the deep red walls and gorgeous, dark crown molding. The furniture was posh and modern, with a homey touch from the choices Bra let Goten have. The lime green couch seemed out of place, but Bra assured them that it was the latest in home décor style.

Goten frowned at the tv, "I love it here. I love this life."

Goku's face fell slightly, "We didn't raise you to be so materialistic, son…"

Goten's face instantly filled with anger. Goku held up his hands in surrender, realizing the trigger he'd just set off.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry, please…I know. Your mom didn't…is that better?"

Goten relaxed, clutching another pillow like a child and breathing out his frustration. He was still very sensitive about his father's shoddy parenting, but tried his very best to learn to live with it. Goku knew that Goten was trying and instantly regretted his poor word choice.

"Anyways, Goten...just call him tonight and see if he'll listen. Tell him it's urgent!"

Goten stared up at the vaulted, white ceiling and felt like screaming. Just when he was starting to settle in and enjoy himself, another issue just had to arise.

Bra came out from the kitchen with a huge smile and invited them to the dining room.

"Okay, boys…come see what we've got for dinner!"

Goku popped up and hugged Bra around the shoulders.

"Thank you, thank you!"

Bra laughed and held out a hand for Goten. He smiled weakly at her and got up, pulling her into his arms. He looked down at her sparkling blue eyes and noticed just a hint of purple around her pupils. It came and went, but they wondered if it was an indication that Lace would have purple eyes. He took in a deep breath as he stared her.

"I love you." He said, kissing her forehead.

She looked up at him and smiled. "I love you, too."

The table was set with beautiful candles and plates. Clearly, Chichi wanted tonight to be a memory for them as a family. Goten knew how much Chichi did for Videl and Gohan when Videl was pregnant with Pan, so this must be her way of doing the same for her second son.

They all began to eat happily and talked about mundane, everyday things throughout the meal. Towards the end, Chichi's phone rang.

"I'm sorry!" She said as she rose up to answer away from the table.

Goku laughed, "I never thought I'd see the day when you could convince your mother and me to get cell phones."

Goten smiled maniacally, "I never thought I'd see the day that you two would know how to use them."

Bra slapped Goten on the arm, but they all seemed to agree to that fact.

Chichi came back into the room with a look of horror on her face. Bra stopped eating and rose up from her seat with concern.

Goten rolled his eyes and put his face in his palm. "What now, mom? I know that look from any other…" He said with frustration.

Judging by her expression, he knew that something else was about to happen.

"It was Bulma…we should go over…"

Bra placed a hand on her belly and the other on her head.

"We can't have a drama free dinner, huh?"

Chichi put her phone on the table.

"I think Pan…may have done something very stupid."

Goku's eyes lit up with worry. "What happened?"

Chichi shrugged, "Bulma thought it was a genius idea to re-make the hyperbolic time chamber for Vegeta. Pan seems to have locked herself inside with the timer set for five days."

Goku choked on his food.

"What?" Goten exclaimed.

Bra walked to the door to grab her coat. "Let's get over there now and figure out how we can get her out of that damn machine. I knew that this would happen…as soon as mom mentioned that it was down there and explained what it was to Pan..."

Goten leaned his back against the chair.

"We just can't learn, can we?" He hollered dramatically, amused by the situation.

They quickly headed out, Goku carrying Chichi, and flew the short distance to Bulma's house.


	32. My Morning Star

In life, there are things that nobody wants to do. In the territorial and brutal world of corporate business, building a company as successful as Capsule Corp is nearly impossible. However, thanks to Bulma and her ingenious father before her, Capsule Corp owned Japan. Its products and discoveries brought Japan to the forefront of innovation and technology. Staying confined to one country was never the ultimate plan, but Bulma was not the best negotiator when it came to expanding the company to new places. Her emotional involvement was far too great. She was too sensitive and far too frugal with their assets to truly compromise with European and American buyers. Unfortunately for Trunks, this fact alone meant that their recent ventures into American business fell completely on his shoulders alone. The task of growing the company was in his hands.

On a bright and sunny Saturday morning, Trunks stepped off of his private jet and chuckled as he was surrounded by several body guards. He'd always thought it was quite hilarious that his mother insisted on the guards, but he knew it was more about protecting the company's image than showing off her half-saiyan super son's strength. He had to look like a super star to be respected as one. His young age matched with his hefty wealth and single status shot him straight to the top of celebrity status across the globe. He was the man that every woman wanted.

With a deep breath, he stepped onto the tarmac and looked towards the airport as he buttoned up his expensive sports coat and trotted down the stairs. That breath was quickly taken straight from his lungs when he saw a girl with long, blonde hair and a pink coat standing just outside of the private entrance door.

Trunks' heart skipped a beat. He was so relieved that she actually came. She did love him after all.

He ran forward, knocking down two of the men in black suits, towards the pink goddess up ahead.

"Sorry!" He called as he kicked off of the ground slightly and zoomed forward. The cold, December air in New York City slapped across his face and took his breath away for a second time.

"Marron!"

He stopped gliding and hit the ground running, grabbing her up into his arms like a child and spinning her around.

"I was so afraid that you wouldn't come…I'm so happy to see you…"

He stopped spinning her and buried his tan face into her angel-soft hair.

"I can't believe that you're here! After what I said when I left…I'm so sorry…" She whispered into his ear.

He lifted up his head and placed a cold finger on her warm lips.

"Stop apologizing. Stop it right now. You don't need to say that anymore. I'm here now."

Marron's eyes widened and her heart began to beat like a racing cheetah.

"I've missed you so much, Trunks…"

Trunks enveloped her in his impressive arms and kissed her forehead. He was so unbelievably happy that his life was finally looking up that he didn't notice all of the guards, the pilots, and several other people staring at them.

"Uh…I believe we need to get you straight to an event, sir…" The head guard said awkwardly.

Trunks gasped, "That's right! Will you like to be my date to a fancy-schmancy party?"

Marron laughed, "Wearing this?"

Trunks held out his hand to one of the guards.

"I prepared for the possibility of you meeting me here. I knew you'd make it."

The man handed him a small suitcase with a purple ribbon on the top.

"This is for you. I hope you remember the first time you wore something just like it..."

Marron's eyes sparkled with excitement. She took the suitcase hastily out of the man's arms and unzipped the top to peek inside.

"Trunks! It's just like the dress you bought for me in Japan! How did you remember what it looked like?"

Trunks shrugged with a genuine smile, "How could I ever forget?"

Marron jumped forward and hugged him again, smiling a bright and happy smile.

The guards began to rush the two forward. They entered a private door to the airport that quickly led them around the general public. Marron held onto Trunks' arm tightly, afraid she'd fall from the pushing and shoving of Trunks' entourage.

"I have to warn you, Mare…this might be a little embarrassing for you."

Marron looked up innocently, "Why?"

The doors of the posh VIP terminal opened ahead of them. Dozens of cameras ambushed them, screaming and flashing lights. The paparazzi called out questions and comments as Trunks smoothly made his way through the crowd, smiling and waving politely.

"Oh, my God! So this is why you have body guards?" Marron exclaimed, overwhelmed.

Trunks laughed, "You could say that."

Marron looked around at the excited and desperate faces, catching their attention.

"Miss! Miss! Are you the new girlfriend?" A man in a Capsule Corp t-shirt called out.

Marron blushed scarlet.

"This is the girlfriend! Get her picture!" A large man with an even larger camera called out to the others.

The flock of people swarmed the area around them, so much so that they couldn't move any further. The squealing fans dropped their suitcases and rushed over to catch a glimpse of the world's hottest celebrity.

"Okay…I'll deal with this." Trunks said calmly to his guards.

"Okay, I'll answer three questions. Then you have to let us through to a very important meeting…you wouldn't want to keep a celebrity waiting."

The cameras zoomed towards Trunks and hands went flying in the air, waving pencils, pens and other writing utensils everywhere.

"Sir, is it true that you will be starring in an upcoming film about aliens and robots?"

Trunks laughed, "No. I was offered the contract, but I've got more pressing matters to attend to."

He looked down at Marron and pulled her close to his side, sending her into embarrassing oblivion. The crowd surged again at his gesture as he chose the second flailing hand.

"Sir, is this your girlfriend? Did she travel here with you from Japan?"

Trunks looked down at Marron for approval and got a blank look of horror. He quickly recalled their lengthy phone conversation only hours beforehand and decided to take the plunge.

"Yes. This is my girlfriend and she traveled here with me."

Marron swallowed hard as several girls around them protested loudly.

"Let's make the last question a quick one…"

Trunks called on a third person, who came to the front of the crowd and smiled devilishly.

"Is it true that your company is in the market for mergers to gain power over the American stock market and consume smaller companies for your own profit?"

The crowd gasped loudly and the body guards instantly took to their ear pieces, whispering directions and looking around wildly. Trunks took a step forward with a relaxed look on his face. He didn't miss a beat.

"This is not correct information and it's embarrassing how your constituents have run out of better things to talk about. Do you feel good when you make the good people viewing this feel as though our company doesn't have the best intentions? Capsule Corp is and always has been about the people. Thank you."

He turned on his heel and waved goodbye. The crowd instantly burst into life and followed, but the guards held them back, allowing Trunks to slip into a private elevator and head to his car. Marron felt as though she was drowning.

"That was horrifying! Will I be on TV? Will my mom see that? Since when did you become so famous?"

Trunks laughed and rubbed his head.

"My mother usually handles the press in Japan so I ended up becoming this mysterious businessman that everyone wanted to know. Besides, remember when you said that I reminded you of the guy from Fifty Shades? Apparently you weren't the only person to notice the resemblance."

Marron blushed scarlet and giggled uncontrollably. She took his arm and buried her face into his jacket, taking in the lush scent of his expensive cologne with glee.

That evening, Marron attended the most lavish party she'd ever seen. Everything from the wine to the food to the venue was completely garnished in the most expensive of materials.

The hotel ballroom was large with a huge vaulted ceiling. Huge chandeliers hung above, dazzling the ceiling with crystal-like reflections. The music was polite and elegant, with a string quartet playing Mozart and Bach in the background. Women shuffled about in fancy dresses covered with sequins and sparkles. Heels clacked on the shiny, wooden floor at every turn and men were chatting away about their successful business dealings. She felt quite out of her element, but was certainly dressed the part in her purple dress from Trunks.

After some suave conversations with older businessmen, Trunks led Marron out to the dance floor. He swung her across the dancefloor and smiled wider and more genuinely than she'd ever seen him smile before. He picked her up and twirled her, dipped her and spun her over and over again.

His dance moves were unrivaled by the competition, clearly due to his upbringing in this environment. He was like a fish in water. His jet black tuxedo and silver bow tie was fit for a royal wedding, causing the many ladies to swarm and swoon every time he flashed his trademark Brief smirk. Swiftly flitting along the floor, they looked like a black and purple whirl of color and sparkles. No one could get enough of the new power couple.

After the party, Trunks took Marron back to his hotel room. Of course he stayed in only the finest accommodations. Marron ran her fingers along the marble countertops of his kitchen and watched as he unbuttoned his jacket and threw it on the leather couch. He casually lit the fireplace and started to undo his tie when Marron realized they hadn't spoken about their phone conversation since he'd arrived.

"Trunks?" Marron asked sheepishly.

"Yeah?"

"You called me…your girlfriend tonight. Is that what I am to you now?"

"Is that what you wanna be?"

Marron giggled, "Yeah…"

"Well then, I suppose I spoke correctly."

Marron took a step forward. She wanted to fall into his arms, but he had no idea what he was asking of her. He had no idea what she'd been through in the short time she'd spent in America. He didn't know the pain she'd felt.

"I'm…broken, Trunks."

Trunks cocked his head to the side and strolled into the kitchen. He stopped in front of her and put his hands in his pockets.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not…good for you."

"Good for me?"

"Good…"

Trunks stepped closer. He looked down into her blue eyes and raised her chin up to his with his hand. Delicately, he searched her soul for an answer to her confusing statement. The silence filled the room. Trunks could hear only the ticking of a clock on the wall and Marron's heavy breathing. He moved his hand to stroke her cheek, causing her to inhale deeply.

"You are the only thing that's good for me."

"You don't know what you're saying, Trunks."

"I do know one thing, Marron."

He leaned forward. Just before he reached her pink lips, he stopped. She could taste his breath on her. The scent of wine sent her back to the dancefloor they'd just left where she felt safe and complete as she spun around in his arms. She wasn't sure that she could resist, but letting him in only meant trouble down the road.

"Do you remember…that night…in college…?" Trunks whispered, placing one hand on her lower back and pulling her against him slowly.

"I…I do…"

"Why didn't you ever tell Goten about it?"

Trunks moved his hand from her face and down to her bare shoulder. He traced the contour of her collar bone from her neck to her arm with one finger, never taking his eyes off of hers.

"I thought…it would just hurt him…"

"He has Bra now. None of that matters anymore. If he were here, in America with us…would you tell him?"

He continued tracing one finger down her arm until he reached her waist. He joined his other hand and caressed her back gently.

"I don't know. Why does it matter? That was so long ago…"

"It matters because I'm in love with you. I want you all to myself. I need to know…before this goes any further…"

She felt him growing excited against her as one hand dragged slowly up her back towards the zipper on her dress.

"I need to know that from this moment forward…you're mine…and I'm yours…and that Goten isn't a part of this anymore…"

Marron gasped as the cold zipper began sliding down her spine.

"I…" Marron whispered.

Trunks smirked.

"You…"

The zipper reached the bottom of its track. His expert hands moved towards her shoulders again and began sliding the dress down.

"I-I'm yours." Marron breathed heavily.

"Good. Because is in town…and you have no idea how long he's been waiting for this."

Trunks let Marron's dress slide down her slim figure and pile onto the floor. She gasped as the cold air hit her bare skin and ignited her senses. Trunks pulled on his tie and loosened it enough to slip it over his head. He dropped his hands to her waist and pushed her back against the wall behind them.

"What exactly is it that has been so patiently waiting for?" Marron said softly.

Trunks lunged forward, locking his lips with hers. He pinned her arms against the wall and pressed his entire body against her. She could feel him getting even more excited now, hard and ready to take her like he had all those years ago. She remembered the feeling and squirmed under him. She remembered the raw passion they shared on that drunken night. However, something was different this time. Something was unhinged and wild, like he'd dropped everything weighing on his heart at the door. He was ready to unleash himself upon her in ways she could only dream of until that very second.

Marron began to unbutton his shirt, but quickly became frustrated and ripped it open, sending the buttons flying about the kitchen. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself up to him. The feeling of his chiseled body against her naked breasts sent chills down her spine.

He reached under her bottom and pulled her legs up around his waist. Without stumbling, he traveled to the countertop she'd just been standing beside and set her down. He began to ravage her neck and collar bone with a frantic tongue that couldn't be tamed. She was sure that she'd need a ton of cover up the next day at the rate he was going.

"Oh, Trunks…" Marron moaned.

She pushed her way to his zipper and undid his pants hastily. They dropped to the floor, revealing the excitement she'd felt against her earlier.

"Wow…"

"Best believe." Trunks answered.

He took each side of the stringy thong in his fingers and ripped it from her body, leaving her heaving heavy gasps for what was to come.

Without another moment to waste, Trunks pulled her to the edge and rammed himself into her. She yelled, first in pain but soon for pleasure. Trunks was considerably bigger than what she remembered Goten to be. She felt like he was splitting her in half.

When Trunks felt her tiring, he picked her up from the counter. Still inside of her, he rested her on the arm of the couch and pushed her back. He kept a hold of one leg and let her knee cling to his shoulder as the other fell limp at his side.

He pushed himself against her and began his ruthless pumping again. She felt him deep inside of her. He was hitting deeper than she thought was possible. He continuously gripped her right leg and used it to propel backward and forward. Marron was sure she'd be black and blue by the next day.

Briefly, her mind traveled back to what it was like with Goten. He was never so aggressive and confident. Something about him always made her feel like he was vulnerable. He was afraid to try new things and afraid to make the first move. He held back and let her move at her own pace.

Trunks was the opposite. He was forceful and possessive. He made her feel like a delicate flower and like an indestructible tank all at once. She looked up at his face and saw the raw power he had over her. She was intoxicated by his control. His brow was furrowed and looked angry, yet his face showed the passion and pleasure he was feeling at the same time. Just looking at him was enough to send her skyrocketing into another climax. She'd lost track of how many she'd just experienced, where Goten rarely got her to that point in the past.

"Marron, I'm gonna…"

"Yes!" She screamed, startled by her own enthusiasm.

Trunks grabbed her leg and held on tight. She watched his face and smiled. He stayed put as he finished, making Marron all the more grateful she never stopped taking her birth control. Causing this much pleasure in a man was extremely satisfying.

"I'm gonna get a shower…" Trunks said quietly.

"Me, too."

"Okay…there's two bathrooms. I'll take the smaller one."

Trunks turned away from her and began retreating to the smaller of the two bedrooms.

"Wait…what? Trunks…"

Marron sat up on the couch and leaned over the back. She suddenly felt a little embarrassed to be completely naked in front of him.

"I just need a minute, okay? It's nothing personal."

He kept walking away from her and closed the door behind him. Slightly wounded, Marron hopped off of the couch and headed into the master suite bathroom. She flipped on the light switch and gasped when the light touched the massive bathtub and spa-like shower. The floor was a gorgeous white marble that crept onto the walls and led to a ceiling lit with spot lights.

She walked to the sink and turned on the cold water. She stared at the white bowl that sat on top of the counter. She was not accustomed to such fancy sinks. She stared up at her reflection in the mirror and shuddered.

Bruises were already beginning to form and her hips and her sides. Her leg was also bruised. She looked around her neck and collar bone and found several hickies. Great, she thought, just what she needed. Marron was no stranger to sex with a saiyan, but this was borderline ridiculous.

She turned around and headed into a fancy, brown-tiled shower with a rounded glass door. She let the warm water run over her and closed her eyes. Was this all just a dream? She let her hands run down her sides and shivered. Her nerves were still on end from Trunks' passionate love making. She breathed in deeply. Why hadn't he wanted to shower with her? Goten loved showering together after sex. Was he embarrassed? She suddenly felt bad for pouting about it.

Trunks was a very private person. She knew that. She would have to get used to subtle differences between him and his best friend. They were two different people. Being half saiyan did not mean they would be anything alike.

The next day, Marron woke in an empty bed. She reached over and felt where Trunks had been sleeping. It was still warm. She sat up slowly and stared out the window. The sun was just coming up. She heard a rustle from the closet and saw Trunks in front of her tying his silver tie.

"Morning beautiful." He said happily.

"Morning." Marron grumbled back.

"Listen…about last night…" Trunks began.

"Hey, you don't have to explain yourself."

"Yeah…okay…"

Marron wanted to kick herself in the head. Was he trying to explain the shower thing or was he going to express regret for sleeping with her? Either way, it was best left alone.

From that morning on, Trunks stayed in America with her. Despite her fears, he was so drunk-in-love with the very idea of her that Marron had no issues getting him to take her along on all of his various trips across the states. They went to Los Angeles, San Fransisco, Las Vegas, Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago and then back to New York in six weeks. His business appeared to be booming in America. She knew their tour would come to an end soon.

One night, a loud ring woke Trunks from a deep sleep and brought him straight up from his warm pillow. He looked around, dazed and confused from a night of drinking and partying on the town but ignored the phone. His hotel room was dimly lit from the small opening in the curtains that hung over a large window making it hard to see much. He admired the moonlight that beamed into the window and onto the plush carpet that lined the expensive suite for a moment through squinted, tired eyes. When his cellphone stopped ringing, Trunks groaned and rolled out of bed. He'd been startled wide awake.

He slipped on the complimentary overstuffed slippers and covered his muscular build with the silk robe that had been thrown in a mashed up pile on the floor. He dragged his feet over to the window and stood there, staring out at the bustling city. The small digital clock on the table glowed a bright four AM. Nothing ever sleeps in New York City, he thought.

He pressed his forehead against the window, thinking about his life in Japan and how he never wanted to go back. This place was heaven. Though he missed his friends and his family, the job was certainly easier and more profitable from afar. He had enough money to continue hotel-hopping for as long as he wanted. Perhaps he could even stay in America for good.

Unwillingly, Trunks began to search around for his clothes. The alarm on his phone was a reminder to wake up for the video conference meeting with Japan. It was an important one at that. The partnership with America was a long time coming, but his mother never quite had the patience to deal with American vendors and corporate douchebags. Trunks on the other hand could be quite intimidating when he wanted to be. He chocked that all up to his father's royal attitude. Because of his tour, the company was now poised to absorb seven American companies and their stocks as well.

"Trunks?" A sleepy voice said with a yawn, "What are you doing? It's four in the morning…"

Trunks sighed, "I know. I have a meeting to go to. I'll just be right out here, it's a video conference with Japan."

Trunks found his best suit jacket in the closet and threw it over a random shirt he'd plucked from a pile on the floor. His favorite black tie hung on top of the jacket and with little effort was tied and ready in an instant. He checked his hair in the full length closet mirror, pushing it around and running his fingers through it. He figured since the video was only chest up that pants were not necessary. He stood there in his boxers, posing and thinking about his approach to these particular executives when he heard her soft footsteps approaching him.

"I'm sorry that I woke you up…" He said, looking down at his tie and straightening it.

"It's okay…just kiss me." She said.

He turned his head and smiled at Marron, who was standing in the doorway with a hot pink, silk robe tied loosely shut at the waist.

"It's been a while since you've done anything work related…"

Marron slinked forward and put her arms around Trunks' neck. He peered up and read four fifteen on the clock.

"Well…I've still got fifteen minutes…"

Marron smirked and tackled him to the ground.

Fifteen minutes later, Trunks slammed his laptop down and turned on the webcam, ready to present his case to the board of execs back home. He ran his fingers through his silky purple hair again and straightened his tie, but figured that he'd look somewhat less put together than he would have before his closet romp just minutes earlier anyways. Some kind of corporate president he was, thought a very preoccupied Trunks.

At four thirty sharp, the video popped on to display a table with seven men seated in suits and ties. They seemed tired and weary, not sure of the position Trunks was about to put them company into. He greeted them cheerfully and dived into his presentation. The power point he'd prepared on his computer moved along smoothly, with his words as convincing as ever. When he'd finished, one man seemed unfazed by the lengthy explanation.

"So…you've been in a foreign country for six weeks with nothing to show but all of this? You'll anger our sponsors in Europe. They don't want a bunch of American companies dropping them when they find out that we've scooped up a huge portion of their business!"

The man stood in anger and waved his hands around emotionally. The other men around the table began to agree and Trunks felt the group leaning towards the animated man.

"What is your name sir?" Trunks asked politely.

"I am Nobu Hitake. I am your second in command, sir…"

Trunks rolled his eyes, "Yes, yes…I knew that…Listen, I'm not prepared to come back to Japan yet. However, I think you're mistaken about what I'm accomplishing here…"

The men began to speak amongst themselves and Nobu frowned angrily.

"You need to get back here or I'm getting rid of your useless assistant!"

Trunks cleared his throat.

"You are in no position to fire nor to judge my personal assistant."

Nobu smiled, "Oh but I am. You are not all powerful. You're just like your mother!"

Trunks stood up with the laptop in hand, "I am the president of Capsule Corporation! If you don't like it, go work for another company, but I guarantee you that I'll just buy it and fire you all over again!"

The men became silent, fearing for their own jobs, but Nobu stayed standing and leaned forward towards the camera.

"Fine, I'll rest my case regarding the company…but if you're not back here to do your job in two days…I'm firing half of your useless staff, including your bone-headed brother-in-law!"

The camera cut off and Trunks stood silently. Marron came around the corner and sighed.

"Trunks…I think you should go back."

He looked up to protest but she held out a hand, "I mean to check on everything. Bra's pregnant…this is happening…go back and take care of it. I'll be fine."

Trunks smiled.

"Will you come with me?"

"I…uh…well…"

Trunks motioned for her to approach him.

"Please...?"

His blue eyes burned into her soul.

"Yeah, yeah…okay…I guess it'd be nice to see everyone."

Marron gave into him and hugged him tightly around the waist.

The next morning, Trunks sat anxiously on his private jet. He knew that he had to go home, but he was having such a fantastic time with Marron that it seemed a real shame to leave this new life. He checked his watch and decided that for the next thirteen hours he would try to get as much sleep as possible. Marron hadn't been letting him sleep all that much lately, thought that wasn't a bad thing in his mind.

Next to him, Marron curled up with a book and sat quietly listening to her music with earbuds. He had no idea what everyone was up to as it only had just occurred to him that he hadn't called anyone but his mother in the six week adventure. Clearly some of his friends, namely Goten, would probably be a little more than peeved at his lack of communication skills.


	33. Eclipse

"I'm home!"

Trunks called as he stepped over the threshold of his parents' home. He felt uneasy in the cold and quiet house. All of the lights were out aside from the kitchen light, which meant Vegeta must be getting some late night food. He only ventured into the kitchen for snacks in between training sessions when everyone else was in another part of the house.

In the silence, Trunks dragged his oversized suitcase in with Marron's and set them loudly on the floor.

"Would you keep it down out there!" A surly voice called from the kitchen.

"Sorry, dad!"

He pushed the suitcases out of the way and headed in to greet Vegeta.

His father was sitting at the island on a large, black barstool and reading something on a tablet. He shoveled cereal into his mouth as he tried to focus on the tiny letters dancing across the bright screen. Trunks moved closer carefully, knowing that his father wasn't one for small talk, especially when he was reading fitness articles.

"Dad…" Trunks said nervously.

Vegeta sighed and put down his bowl. He turned to Trunks angrily.

"What is so important that you have to interrupt me?"

Trunks instantly started laughing. Vegeta blushed bright red and tore the thick, black reading glasses from his face.

"So…age catching up to you, dad?"

Vegeta scowled, "Your mother wouldn't shut up about it! I don't need them!"

Trunks rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah…okay, dad. Hey, where is everyone?"

Vegeta smiled, "Oh…it's quite the story. Do you have time to hear it before you run off with that woman again?"

Trunks blushed and turned around to see Marron peeking around the corner, frozen in place.

"I can't believe that you wasted so much time in a foreign country on 'business' when you could have been training…so unmotivated…"

Vegeta began to mumble angrily as he shoved his glasses back into a little black pouch. Trunks pulled up a bar stool and sat next to his father happily, motioning for Marron to join them. Vegeta watched the blonde bombshell enter the room with an angry frown on his face. Trunks knew that Vegeta never liked Marron. He also knew that the only reason was the hatred that he continued to harbor for her mother. The only woman ever to show up the great Prince of all Saiyans was Android 18. In her prime, her skills rivaled the saiyans to a degree that at the time was thought completely impossible. Had she not joined the good side, Trunks was fairly certain Vegeta would have killed her after the Cell games. He was still nervous about his father's hostility towards 18 even now, after all that happened with Krillin.

Marron leaned on Trunks and clung to his arm, causing Vegeta to roll his eyes in annoyance.

"Well dad…are you going to tell me where everyone is or what?"

Vegeta sighed. He got up and placed his bowl in the sink before returned to the barstool and gathering his thoughts. His muscles had gotten so big that even sitting caused some problems with his clothes stretching at the seams.

He didn't wear his saiyan armor anymore, but Bulma certainly had to custom order his clothes. She always enjoyed calling her husband the shortest bodybuilder on the planet. Vegeta refused to wear anything baggy for fear of dressing like Goku, so his pants were super short and his shirts were shaped to his massive chest. He crossed his arms and made his biceps appear even larger, which made Marron nervous. She let go of Trunks' sweater and found a seat in a third barstool.

"We've had a bit of excitement around here. You see, my brother is apparently twice as intelligent as your mother."

Vegeta smiled at the thought of Bulma being one-upped by his saiyan blood.

Trunks nearly fell out of his seat, "What do you mean? Uncle Tarble is smart?"

Vegeta scoffed, "Did you think anything less of my royal blood? He could not fight, so he trained his brain instead. Some saiyans actually have motivation to partake in productive activities."

Trunks leaned forward, "So…get to the point!"

He was becoming annoyed with his father's constant attitude after only a few minutes of being back in his company.

"The little brat, Gohan's girl…"

Trunks cut him off, "Pan? What happened to Pan?"

Vegeta slammed his hand on the table, "Would you stop interrupting me?"

Trunks recoiled, "Sorry…"

He cleared his throat and continued.

"She befriended Tarble. Apparently his small stature and pleasantries coaxed her into helping him with his training. They decided to break into your mother's lab and reprogram the hyperbolic time chamber."

Trunks' eyes widened.

"Wh-what…"

Vegeta shrugged, "Stupid."

Trunks hopped up out of the chair

"How long have they been inside?"

Vegeta smiled, "They've been stuck for five days now. That Kakarott and his older boy have been here non-stop with the pregnant one and the most annoying woman on the planet."

Trunks hopped out of the barstool and ran out of the kitchen, leaving Marron sitting alone with Vegeta.

"Please leave. I'd like to continue my reading." Vegeta said nonchalantly, reaching into the pouch and replacing his glasses.

Marron cleared her throat and slinked off of the tall chair. She turned to leave, but Vegeta spoke again.

"Marron."

She turned, realizing that he'd never addressed her by her name before.

"I'm not sure what you hope to accomplish by creating an illusion that you actually care about my son."

Marron's eyes widened as he continued.

"You have a decision to make. If you hurt Trunks…let's just say that I have a permanent score to settle with that mother of yours."

Marron tried to speak in her defense, but words failed her. Vegeta blushed slightly and returned to his tablet screen.

"Get out of my sight."

Marron turned and rushed away, but felt confused by his comment. Maybe coming back with Trunks wasn't a good idea after all.

Meanwhile, Trunks ran down the basement stairs at full speed. He burst into the lab and the entire room hollered in surprise.

"Hi…dad told me what happened…"

He paused to look around at the faces in the room. Goku and Chichi sat comforting Videl and Gohan, who'd clearly been worried sick about their teenager being locked in a chamber for what appeared to five years of her life. Trunks watched the clock outside of the room for a moment, not sure if it was counting down or up. The clock seemed to be reading digital numbers, but the numbers were askew and not complete. Something was clearly done to alter the function of the chamber. His eyes traveled to the other side of the room, but everything went black.

Before he knew it, he was on the ground and felt the sting of being punched in the face. He opened his eyes and growled.

"Ow! What the hell?"

He rubbed his nose and opened his eyes to see Goten standing over him.

"I almost lost my job because your ass was gone! You didn't call, you didn't text…nothing! Now you show up and just bust in here like you're going to save the day?"

Bra stood by his side with her arms crossed. Her belly was huge, protruding out of her small frame.

"I'm so sorry, Goten…" Trunks said, but Goten huffed in anger back to his seat near Bulma, who was deep into a large book searching line by line.

"I just can't find an override. I have no idea what Tarble did to this machine…it was not supposed to be used for aged training! I was trying to create the opposite!"

Marron entered the room and gasped when she saw Trunks laying on the floor with a bloody nose.

"Trunks!"

She began helping him up, but Goten made an exasperated noise and stomped back to the door.

"Are you serious? Her again? This is where you've been?"

Goten's voice was beginning to show true anger at his best friend. Trunks got up and shrugged Marron off of his shoulder.

"I've been on business. She lives in New York now…she wanted to visit."

Goten could tell that Trunks was lying through his teeth. Bra held her same pose, but her eyes burned into Marron, flashing between blue and pearly purple.

"What…is with your eyes?" Marron asked, peeved by her expression towards her.

Bulma looked up and grumbled.

"Goten…calm down. Take Bra upstairs and give her the medication, please."

Goten let out a large sigh and coaxed Bra past Marron. She was clearly extremely displeased that Marron had a hold over her brother again, knowing that Trunks was devastated when she left.

When Goten and Bra closed the door up the stairs, a crack from the chamber door startled the quiet room. A vibration shook the ground lightly, but enough to be felt. Bulma rushed to the door, checking the clock and putting a finger on the crack in the door.

"I think it's done…I think it's going to open!"

Videl stood up, but Gohan pulled her to his lap.

"We don't know what's going to come out of there…"

Trunks made a strange face at Gohan.

"This chamber is different. It generates different terrains that mimic real life. There are animals…all kinds of things that could come through this door if they aren't near and ready to come out." Bulma explained nervously.

Trunks shook his head, "What the hell would you build this for?"

Bulma placed her hands on her curvy hips, "I was only building what your father asked for! It imitates all of the original surface activity of planet Vegeta!"

Trunks worried for Pan. She wasn't even a super saiyan, let alone used to training in ten times that of Earth's gravity at all times. Marron could see that Trunks was having some sort of internal struggle and moved to comfort him.

"Don't…touch me…right now."

He said as he swiped away her hand. Marron became extremely irritated and sat on the floor by the door, eager to leave.

The door cracked again, but this time, a light shined through it. Gohan jumped to his feet,

"Get away from the door!"

He grabbed Chichi and Videl and flew to the opposite site of the lab, while Trunks grabbed Bulma and shielded Marron. Goku knew what was about to happen and stood ready to receive and deflect the energy blast. Within seconds, they heard the words.

"Ka...Me…Ha…Me…."

Goku held up his hands and readied himself.

"Ha!"

A blast of white light blew the door into pieces and shot into the lab. Goku caught the energy and used his instant transmission to deflect it into the sky outside, saving the entire house from certain destruction. As the light cleared, a tattered hand appeared in the doorway. Videl struggled away from Gohan and ran near the doorway.

"Pan?"

A woman in shredded clothing and long, golden hair stood before them. Her face was thin, sinking in at her cheeks. Her green eyes glowed above the shadows that decorated her cheeks. She was lean and built, angry, but still very much the Pan that they could recognize.

"Mom…"

Her voice was lower and sounded harsh. She'd clearly reached an ascended super saiyan form. Videl ran forward and hugged her daughter, who transformed back into a normal form. Her spikey hair dropped into flowing, black locks that hung to her knees. She held onto her mother and soon Chichi and Gohan, as well.

Goku appeared before them again after ridding them of Pan's ki blast and threw his arms around them all.

"My Pan is back!" He exclaimed.

Bulma smiled briefly at Pan, but looked back at the doorway, searching the green jungle before them from afar.

"Pan…where is he…"

Pan turned to Bulma with a strong, cold look on her face.

"Who?"

Trunks felt a cold chill run down his spine. Vegeta and Goten were now at the doorway, listening and watching.

"Where the hell is Tarble?" Vegeta exclaimed at the saiyan woman before him.

Pan shrugged, "I never saw him after we entered the room. It was like we were torn into two dimensions. I haven't seen another person…in five years."

Videl and Chichi burst into tears and hugged Pan even tighter.

Vegeta looked as though he'd been stabbed by his closest friend. His face fell and his skin turned pale. He looked ahead into the room, seeing the striking resemblance to the planet he once called home.

"Tarble…is he dead?"

He looked at Bulma for answers, who looked just as confused as everyone else. Trunks placed a hand on his father's shoulder, but Vegeta shook him off and walked forward.

"You can't go inside, Vegeta! He has to come out!" Bulma pleaded.

Vegeta stomped a foot and called out into the doorway, "Tarble! Get your ass out here!"

He began to panic, searching through the trees and vines, straining to see some sign of life.

"Tarble!" Vegeta howled again angrily.

Just as they began to give up hope, a rustle in the jungle caught their attention. Pan turned, clearly not recognizing the sound.

"Everyone…don't…move…" Pan whispered.

They continued watching into the unknown world as a large dinosaur-looking monster materialized through the trees. Vegeta gasped in horror, recognizing the beast from his time on planet Vegeta as a small child. The animal didn't seem aware of the portal to another world until a loud scream from afar sounded across the sky.

A short young man with Vegeta-esque hair flew full speed ahead at the beast and blasted it backwards.

"I'm coming!" He called as the animal rose and took chase.

"Vegeta! When he comes out, blast the portal!" Bulma exclaimed.

Vegeta took aim, calling for Tarble to fly faster. He broke the barrier of the portal in just enough time as Vegeta sent his signature Galick Gun into the portal, destroying the doorway in the process and shutting down the entire machine. The world seemed to go black inside and began to crumble away.

"Thanks, bro!"

A much younger looking Tarble said, rubbing his head on the floor. Vegeta turned and grabbed Tarble by his torn and burned shirt.

"You idiot! Do you have any idea what you could have done? You blasted idiot!"

Tarble laughed, "I am a genius. I would have liked to have had another year in there…"

Vegeta dropped him on the ground and yelled angrily. The group began to calm down after a few minutes. Pan pushed her family aside and took a few steps towards the teen-aged boy on the floor.

"You made it out…I thought you were dead!"

Tarble smiled, "I'm alive…we're…it worked!"

Tarble rose to his feet. They stared at each other for a moment. Tarble looked to be abut fifteen or sixteen, the age Pan was when she entered the room. Pan on the other hand looked to be about twenty. Their plan had been a complete success. They ran and embraced, bouncing up and down happily like the oldest of friends reunited. Trunks scrunched his face up in confusion.

"Pan…you don't even know him…"

Pan turned to Trunks, ready to embrace him as well, but then she saw her.

"Marron…" Pan said with disdain.

Tarble frowned at the sight of them as well.

"I'm…glad to see you, too?" Marron said softly.

Pan frowned at Trunks and turned to Tarble. She stared at him longingly, speaking with her eyes. Suddenly, she pushed Trunks out of the way and stormed up the stairs. Tarble stood awkwardly, as scrawny as ever, and looked around.

"So…who's up for some serious story time?"

The entire room continued to stay silent in shock. Vegeta powered up.

"You idiot!"

Tarble shot up the stairs away from Vegeta, but the chase was on. Trunks couldn't believe his eyes. This was not what he expected to come home to after six weeks of lustful bliss.


	34. The Release

Sometimes the true meaning of family can get lost in the mix of everything. Tragedy isn't always what makes people forget. It can be simple. Sometimes a simple disagreement can ripple outwards for years. Sometimes an entire family can be torn apart by something as simple as a small mistake.

Unfortunately for Pan, it was unclear who her true family was at the moment.

That night, the Capsule Corp household was sullen and filled with mixed emotions. Bulma and Chichi stood in the kitchen over hot pans and steaming pots. Neither of them spoke a word, but it seemed that they were communicating without their voices. Goku and Vegeta also sat in the kitchen. Goku was staring into space with a vacant expression while Vegeta squinted at his tablet. He wouldn't be caught dead wearing his glasses in front of his rival. As Goku stared ahead blankly, a smile spread across his face without warrant.

In his mind, he was thrilled to have his niece back. The five days he spent outside of the hyperbolic time chamber were the longest of his life. He remembered the feeling of being trapped inside, aging and growing stronger, as the world around you stood still. He pictured his older son Gohan as a boy and beamed with pride over the triumphant exit they made together before fighting Cell.

As Goku continued to daydream, Pan entered the room and plugged her phone into a charger that hung near the microwave. She paused and looked up at Chichi, but her grandmother was far past feeling happy to have her back. A look of disgust welled up on Chichi's face that made Pan feel utterly disappointed in her choices. If she'd only stopped Tarble or taken more time to think things through, perhaps she wouldn't be five years older than she was five days ago.

Pan shook her head and snapped out of it.

She was happy to be twenty. She was living the teen-aged dream; Waking up a fifteen year old in school with no end in sight and five days later becoming a twenty year old super saiyan.

"Pan…how did you achieve super saiyan form? Ascended even…it's incredible." Goku asked, startling those around him from their silent thoughts.

"I…trained really hard…just like you always taught me, grandpa." Pan answered sweetly.

"But how? What triggered it?" Goku asked, leaning forward in his stool and resting his elbows on the counter.

Pan looked down. She was angry that day. She was angry that no one was there with her and that there was no one to talk to. She began talking to the trees and the fake animals that inhabited the world around her to keep from going crazy. Maybe she was crazy already. Things were looking bleak.

About a year and a half in, a huge monster presented himself, similar to the one that Vegeta destroyed as Tarble exited the chamber. It towered over Pan and continuously tried to kill her. The scariest part of the entire ordeal was that she almost let it. She wanted things to be over so she wasn't alone anymore. Had she known that Tarble would be ripped away from her the second they closed the door, she never would have agreed.

She laid on the ground, taking each hit with devastating force. Its claws were tearing into her flesh, sending blood flying everywhere. She screamed, but no one could hear her. She fought, but he was stronger. She felt herself near death. What was there to live for? She closed her eyes and prepared for death. Then she saw him.

Trunks' face was smiling back at her as they ran through a field. He was holding her hand and laughing. They were together. She felt the warmth of love filling her body. She was complete.

Another blow shocked her back to life. She looked up into the monster's mouth at his razor sharp teeth and realized that dying wasn't an option. Dying would only prevent her brief vision from becoming a reality. Beating this monster meant a chance, however small, for Trunks to fall in love with her.

"Pan?"

Goku and Vegeta were staring at her. She realized she'd gone silent instead of answering his question as the horrific moment replayed in her memory.

"It was…life or death. I chose life." Pan choked out.

Goku frowned. He hated the idea of Pan being in trouble. Vegeta on the other hand chuckled and went back to his reading.

"Dinner's ready." Chichi said sternly.

Pan turned around and headed into the hallway. She didn't feel like eating. The fresh memories were burned into her mind's eye.

"Ow!"

Pan rubbed her forehead. She opened her eyes and found Tarble doing the same.

"I'm terribly sorry, Pan…I wasn't paying attention."

Tarble's face looked so young. He rubbed his head and lowered his hand, revealing the warmest smile Pan had ever seen.

"It's…it's okay. Are you okay?" Pan replied nervously.

"I'm just fine now." He answered, beaming at her.

Pan felt a strange jolt inside of her. She shook her head and rushed away. She had to stay focused. A great big mark on her forehead wasn't going to aid in Trunks falling for her new look. Perhaps should could find some of Bra's makeup to cover it with.

As she rushed down the hall, she peeked over her shoulder. Tarble was heading into the dining room. Just as she was about to turn back around, he too peered over his shoulder. They locked eyes. Pan felt her heart jump like a scared cat and rushed into the bathroom. She slammed the door behind her and took a deep breath.

"What the hell…" She whispered.

At the table, Bulma sat across from a chatty Tarble and frowned. He noticed her expression and sat down his utensils.

"What's the matter, sis?"

Bulma cringed at the idea of her brother-in-law now resembling a teenager. She had never felt so old in her life. Even the idea of being a grandmother wasn't as bad as staring into the eyes of a teenage Vegeta look-a-like.

"I just don't get it, Tarble." She breathed flatly.

Tarble smiled back warmly, "You want to know how I did it…don't you?"

Bulma perked up and leaned forward anxiously.

"You…you would share that?"

Bulma's tone went from despairing to hopeful in an instant. Vegeta took a sip of Bulma's expensive sake and cleared his throat.

"I think she is more interested in setting the clock on her age a few years back…"

Bulma slapped his arm, but the previously depressed table erupted in laughter. Bulma sulked against the back of her chair as Chichi patted her shoulder for comfort.

"I'm not saying that it wouldn't be fantastic to be younger again, but I really do want to know what you did. I've spent months trying to configure the chamber to stop aging. It was supposed to provide training with no age effect. You turned my entire design inside out."

Tarble swallowed a bite of food before he interlaced his fingers on top of the solid oak table. It was clear that his saiyan customs and royal gestures were still intact after all of this time away from people. Everyone stared at him and dangled in suspense as he appeared to prepare his answer.

"My father sent me away when I was young…I was shown to be scrawny and weak compared to the other infants, instantly classifying me as a lower class saiyan. It was quite the scandal…seeing as Vegeta was born with so much potential. I seemed like an abomination to the King and Queen."

Vegeta shifted uneasily in his chair, but held his chin up with pride as though to agree with his brother. Goku shot him a resentful glare. He couldn't imagine feeling like Gohan or Goten were abominations, no matter what they looked like or acted like. Gohan, who was sitting silently beside Chichi, noticed his father's change of expression and smiled. He placed a hand on Videl's shoulders and pulled her closer.

"Instead of forcing me to work amongst the peasants, or other lower-class saiyans, my father sent me away as though I'd never been born. He sent me to a planet full of weak creatures with the hope that I could still conquer a world for myself when the time was right…What my parents failed to see was my intellect."

"You were only young, Tarble. They did as any upper-class saiyan would have done in the face of such a situation." Vegeta interrupted.

"You're saying you would send Trunks or Bra away to another planet if they were born with some kind of…of problem? What the hell, Vegeta?" Bulma exclaimed.

"Please understand, Bulma…our culture is very different from yours. In any case, on my new planet I was adopted by a couple that raised me to be extraordinary. Fortunately for my weak stature, they also raised me in the complete absence of violence. I have manners, decency…everything because of them."

Vegeta's eyes grew wary as Tarble continued about his adoptive parents. Goku relaxed. He identified with Tarble a great deal. Though he was never weak, he lived through a similar experience. The only difference was that his Grandpa Gohan wasn't the brightest crayon in the box and passed that on to Goku.

Goku looked over to Vegeta again and sighed. Vegeta was certainly not ashamed of his royal heritage. He was very proud to have been raised on such barbaric standards, but the life that Tarble had was just as rewarding as Goku's. He decided that getting to know Tarble was definitely something he wanted to pursue.

Goten arrived at the table and sat down with a plop. He was dressed in a tattered sweater and a black beanie, which complimented his black skinny jeans and vans sneakers. Chichi groaned at his choice of attire, but served him a plate of food without hesitation. Vegeta looked across the table at Goten and frowned. What a sad excuse for a husband he will make, Vegeta thought.

"Where's Bra?" Bulma asked.

"She's sleeping. Too much excitement for one day, I think."

"She should have more strength than that. Are you sure you are giving her the proper medications?" Vegeta snarled.

Goten gave him a disgusted look and paused sarcastically before continuing.

"Yes, sir. She's fine." He nodded towards Tarble, "Can you pass that, bro?"

"Goten! Manners!" Chichi snapped.

"Damn, okay. Can you please pass that?" Goten grumbled.

"Goten…" Gohan warned.

"What the hell? I'll just go out and get something then!"

"Goten. Kitchen. Now." Vegeta demanded.

He rose from the table and stomped into the kitchen. Goten turned pale white and stared around the table. He found himself looking to Goku for confirmation. Goku nodded towards Vegeta in shock. Goten felt his stomach do several back flips.

He entered the kitchen that was separated by only a small, half-wall from the dining area. Vegeta was opening a tub of ice cream when he entered.

"I told you. I'm gonna take care of Bra. It's not like cussing has bothered you before…"

Vegeta frowned and ignored him.

"Look…I know that you hate me because of my father. I'm trying really hard to prove that I am not him. I love your daughter and I'm a completely different kind of man."

Vegeta crammed the ice cream scoop into the tub and looked up at Goten with a classic, angry saiyan face.

"I don't care what your intentions are, boy."

He returned to scooping and plopping the ice cream on small, yellow plates.

Goten continued warily, "I mean…I don't know why I feel the need to ask you this now, but it could be my only chance to speak to you away from the family…"

Vegeta looked uncomfortable at the situation, "I was going to tell you to get over yourself and stop acting like a little brat...but you just reminded me the obvious reason you can stand to be around my daughter. What is it that you want to say?"

Goten smirked and rubbed the back of his head nervously. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. Vegeta stopped scooping ice cream and stared at the box in Goten's palm. Goten glanced over his shoulder and saw that the table had continued with their discussions. Now was his chance.

"I want to marry Bra. I want to ask for your permission before I ask her...I know I'm not really that familiar with saiyan customs, but here it is pretty important to have the blessing of the father before you propose to a girl…"

Vegeta felt a sudden urge to punch Goten, but he knew that this was in fact an Earthly emotion to feel so conflicted. Her pregnancy didn't bother him as much because it meant the continuation of saiyan blood on Earth. It was customary for Saiyans to mate at her age. This was normal, but for the male saiyan to continue to be involved with the female felt a little too close to the story of Goku came to be in existence. That soft trait must have been passed down from none other than Bardock himself.

Over the years, Vegeta had fallen so deeply in love with Bulma that he no longer knew who he was. He wasn't the saiyan warrior that first came to Earth to destroy and kill. He definitely wasn't Majin Vegeta, possessed by anger and power. He was just a dad about to become a grandfather. He was a father to a beautiful daughter and incredibly intelligent son.

He felt pride welling up inside of him that was different from the pride after winning a battle or winning his own life. Marriage was something that he wanted for his children because of Bulma. She'd shown him that life was worth so much more when you share it with your soul mate. Was Goten actually Bra's soulmate? He had to know, though he wasn't sure he was prepared for the answer.

"Goten…I understand that I may make you…uncomfortable by asking you this question."

Goten relaxed after the extended silence. Vegeta set down the scoop and took a moment to prepare himself.

"When you…you know…did you or Bra happen to do something…out of the ordinary?"

Goten's entire body seemed to turn blood red in embarrassment, but Vegeta's face was unchanged by the anxiety of such a personal question.

"I…I…well…yeah?"

Goten began to fidget, but Vegeta sighed and smiled.

"Did she bite you as well?"

Goten felt more uncomfortable than he'd ever felt in his life.

"Yeah but…it wasn't weird or anything…we…I didn't mean to!"

Vegeta took a step forward and placed a hand on Goten's arm. Goten wondered if he meant to place it on his shoulder but couldn't reach.

"I have to consider you my son, then. That bite is a sign that a saiyan is lucky to have experienced…your grandfather, Bardock…he told Raditz, your uncle, about it before he was killed. Raditz told all of us about it…we thought it was a joke. However, it appears to be true after all."

"What do you mean?" Goten asked warily.

"A saiyan will mark their soulmate so that no other saiyan can ever mate with them. I know that it seems strange to you, but it is one of the highest honors of our people. It's not often that saiyans experienced this…gift."

Goten looked down at the small, disgruntled saiyan with a completely confused expression.

"So that means…we're like…meant to be together or something?"

Vegeta rolled his eyes and took his hand from Goten's arm.

"Yes, Goten…that is what I mean. Now go and do whatever it is that you do to propose."

Goten panicked, "Right now?"

Vegeta looked surprised.

"Why would you waste my time if you weren't planning on taking care of this now?"

Goten swallowed hard, "Okay…I have it…I'll…I'll do it. Let me go and wake her…she'll be hungry anyway."

Back in the dining room, Tarble took a sip of sake and continued his story.

"I was part of an elite experimental science group that pioneered a new type of space technology. It wouldn't make much sense to those of you who have only lived on Earth, but it is quite remarkable. In any case, that technology was transferrable to the contraption down there that you call a hyperbolic time chamber."

Bulma's jaw dropped. She began spouting off questions like crazy, but was interrupted when Vegeta sat down and patted her on the leg. She looked at him and then realized that Goten was standing behind then with a sleepy Bra nervously. He pulled out a chair for Bra and helped her sit down. When she was settled, he continued standing and clapped his hands together.

"Can I have everyone's attention?"

The table fell silent and stared up at him. He looked at his father and mother, who seemed the most confused by his announcement. Videl and Gohan were sitting with a freshly made-up Pan. The sight of his tomboy niece wearing makeup disturbed him a bit. He turned his gaze to Bra.

His whole life he'd been surrounded by families that loved each other through thick and thin, even if Goku was off being a hero for the majority of it. He was grateful that even with Goku's strange tendencies and heroic antics that his mother continued to love him no matter what. He drew strength from that and knew that he wanted to be a husband that loved his wife through the hardest of times. Nothing to could break them apart.

"I have an announcement to make…"

Bra raised her eye brows and looked up at her tall boyfriend. He placed a hand on her belly as the baby within her kicked happily

"I guess I want to take a second and apologize to my family for being so angry for so many years…I am really and truly grateful to have you all in my life. You've shown me that no matter what, a family sticks together."

Chichi smiled and leaned her head back on Goku, who gave Goten a thumbs up.

"I want to also thank the other half of my family here…the ones who have constantly supported us and given us a lasting friendship that we couldn't live without. I've been doing a lot of thinking. I feel like…being a family doesn't always mean sharing blood. I think you can be a family just by loving one another and being a source of light in dark times."

Bulma took Vegeta's hand and squeezed it as he rejoined the table with the tiny yellow plates. He seemed pleased with Goten's speech thus far, but shot him a look to speed things up so he could eat his ice cream.

"I…I think it's only fitting at this point…now that Pan and Tarble are back and Trunks is back…that our families become one…"

He kneeled down in front of Bra.

"I know that some of you may think that I'm only doing this because we have a little girl on the way…but it's so much more than that…Thanks to Vegeta, I understand now…you are the only woman that I will ever love like this. I am completely and totally devoted to you from this day forward."

He reached in his pocket and pulled out the small box he'd shown to Vegeta only seconds earlier. Bra's big eyes sparkled with excitement as her mouth dropped open.

He popped the box open to reveal a diamond ring fit for a queen. In the center, a large diamond shined brightly against the dining room chandelier. The large diamond was surrounded by several smaller diamonds that cascaded in a spiral to the base of the ring.

Bra's eyes filled with tears, as did all of the other women in the room.

"Bra Brief…I love you more than anything in the world. Will you marry me?"

Bra gasped. Tears overflowed from her eyes and streamed down her cheeks.

"Yes!"

The table erupted with applause and shouts of happiness. Goten stood up clumsily just as she lunged forward and clung to his neck. He picked her up and swung her around gently, holding her close and kissing her hair. It seemed that everyone was overjoyed. Everyone but the small, blonde girl now standing in the doorway beside a particularly confused, purple-haired man.

Marron's face was full of hate and despair. She reached into her purse and pulled out her phone. She hit the side button, lighting it up.

"My mom is calling…I'm gonna go talk to her in another room. Tell Bra that I said congrats." She whispered.

Marron turned and rushed away from the festivities. Trunks stood with his mouth hanging open, watching her run for the hallway. He knew then that the dream life he'd been living for six weeks, thinking that Marron was actually over Goten and wanted him alone, was a complete lie. He looked back to his sister who was smiling and crying with joy, staring up at Goten with love in her eyes. Why couldn't Marron look at him that way? What was it about Goten that made women so head-over-heels in love with him?

After a happy dessert and several drinks, Trunks sauntered outside and sat in the grass of their front lawn. He left Marron inside to chat with Chichi after she rejoined the party, hoping for some silence from an insane night and from the negative feelings he was harboring for her at the moment. He dropped backwards onto the ground and felt the cool grass tickle his face. The sky above was black and filled with sparkling stars. His thoughts trailed off to the life that Tarble must have lived on that alien planet with no one who looked even remotely like him. At least he fit in because of his mind. Trunks would never have been able to adapt.

He frowned. He supposed that Goten would be able to adapt to such intelligence, just like he always had. Trunks felt like he'd never get any smarter. The knowledge that he'd accumulated in college and through his professional career was the extent of it all. He'd reached his limit.

Goten's expression when Trunks entered the basement tormented him, tearing at his moral compass. He should never have deserted his best friend for his ex, but when he spoke to Marron on the phone that night it all changed. After he confessed his love and made his case, offering to fly to America to be with Marron, she took him back and said she loved him the entire time…right? His head began to spin. If she loved Trunks, why did she act that way when Goten proposed to Bra? Did she really think that with the baby on the way that they wouldn't get engaged?

He felt an extremely heavy weight in his heart in that moment. He realized that he'd ignored his entire family and all of his friends for a woman that was playing him.

Just then, he was startled from thought by a power level he hadn't felt before approaching him. He jolted upwards drunkenly, worried that it could be a new enemy ready to sully his day even further, but instead a black-haired woman stood before him.

She swung her long, wild hair behind her back and placed one hand on her hip with confidence. He felt his already pink cheeks heat up as he looked upon her beauty. She'd changed so much. Her resemblance to Chichi was striking, but her eyes were that of a true saiyan warrior. Her skin was a pale white, clashing against her midnight hair that shined under the light of a streetlamp near the edge of the green yard. Her borrowed-from-Bra clothing clung to her bountiful chest, but he tried not to look there. He wasn't ready to see her as the adult that she so clearly had become.

"Trunks…"

Her sweet voice rang out and shattered his sense of security. It was like the most beautiful bell, tolling for him and only him. He melted into the idea of her, welcoming her to sit beside him and giving in to the nervous but delicious feeling of being near someone willing to give him their attention.

What was coming over him, he thought. Clearly he'd been drinking too much.

"I missed you so much." She started confidently.

He could see that her personality hadn't changed.

"I missed you, too, kiddo."

He answered unsure, afraid that he would sound weird for saying such a thing. He barely spoke to her before he left, let alone his complete absence for months without a word.

"Why did you do this to yourself?" Trunks asked abruptly, before the tense silence filling the air between them became too great.

Pan smiled and blushed, but held her eye contact.

"I did this…all of this…for you."

Trunks cleared his throat and swayed a bit, beginning to feel the full effect of the strong sake he'd been enjoying all night.

"What?"

"I am not stupid, Trunks. I kissed you because I knew what I wanted. I had to be sure that my heart wasn't just telling me lies. After that day…I started training with Tarble. We became really good friends and he made me realize that I wasn't living for myself if I let you go."

Trunks' mouth hung open as she spoke.

"So when he said he knew a way to make me older…I took the chance. I knew you would never feel the same if I was still a stupid teenager."

Trunks placed a hand over his mouth, still in shock from her honesty.

"I had no idea that you'd be back with her after what she put you through, Trunks. What are you thinking? She doesn't love you…like I love you."

He tried to answer but he felt too overwhelmed to speak.

"Anyway, I'm old enough now. I want to make you happy."

Trunks started laughing awkwardly and held up a hand for her to stop talking.

"Pan…I…how do you expect me to just accept this? I grew up with you! You're…you're ten years younger than me!"

She raised her finger to his lips.

"I'm five years closer to you now."

Trunks began to stand up but wobbled dangerously.

"Wait!"

Pan pulled him back down to ground with force.

"Please give me a chance…"

Trunks looked outraged.

"A chance to what, Pan? I'm with Marron now and I love her. I'm not just a guy that you can be with because you want to prove to everyone that you're not a kid. You're a kid and you always will be in my eyes. I mean what the f-!"

He fell to the ground and watched the starry sky swirl above him. He felt his stomach turning into a pile of knots.

Pan's eyes welled up with tears. She stood up from the ground with confidence and looked down at Trunks, sniffling slightly but attempting to hide her tears.

"I will wait for you. I know that this must seem sudden, but I've had five years to think about how I would break free of my mental paralysis and tell you how I feel. I've had five years to plan and plot and think that just maybe I could convince you to love me back!"

Trunks sighed, holding in a wave of nausea.

"Pan…love doesn't work that way."

Her face blushed scarlet.

"It…it can!"

"It doesn't…"

He started to get up, but Pan lunged forward and kissed him, knocking him back onto the grass.

Something hit Trunks at that moment, and he felt like he had to stop or something bad was surely going to happen. He pulled away from her and stared at her. She was panting, red in the face but smiling. She was blurry. Stop it, Trunks, he thought to himself. Someone is going to see you. His stomach turned again.

"I'm…sorry…"

Pan whispered.

"This…can never…happen again…"

Trunks pointed at her. He tried to sit up and turned away from her in just enough time to throw up on the grass beside them. Pan jumped back.

"Are you okay?" She asked with concern.

"Okay? Am I okay? What the hell do you think, Pan? I feel like I just kissed a freaking kid!"

Trunks got up abruptly and stormed into the house, slamming the door behind him.

Pan sat in the cold grass alone. She reached up to her lips and gasped. Tears began to flow. She'd waited so long for that moment. She'd wasted five years of her life for nothing. She sobbed into her hand and curled into a ball. After a few moments, she sniffled and looked up at the house. A curtain was pulled to the side slightly. She saw Tarble standing there watching her with sad eyes. He put a hand against the glass, offering his condolences, but he seemed more than just sorry for her loss. His eyes were deep with understanding and empathy.

When she turned away from him to continue her sobbing, he slowly dropped the curtain and moved away from the window. Pan felt the pit of her stomach aching in horrible pain.

"What…have I done…?"


	35. Standing in the Pouring Rain

Marron slinked around the corner with her cell phone in hand. She peered down at the screen. She'd only hit the button to look like someone was calling, but to her surprise, her phone had been ringing all night without her noticing. She rolled her eyes and hit the name on her recent missed calls list. She dreaded talking to him.

"Why the hell are you calling me right now?" She snapped.

A short pause was interrupted by a crass chuckle.

"You know…I'm really sick of your attitude. Our arrangement is not set in stone…keep it up and the deal is off…"

Marron's open mouth shut quickly. She looked up at a mirror to her right and stared at her reflection.

Who was she becoming?

"If I'm right, it could be any day now. They said something about a saiyan pregnancy being shorter than a human one. She's looks like she's going to pop."

She heard typing on the other end, as though they were taking notes. As she waited for a response, she picked up a framed picture of Trunks and Bra that sat on top of a fancy dresser. She looked at it with disgust and slammed it back down.

"Any day, huh? I guess you have your work cut out for you. I trust then that you will continue to play your part and do your job when the time comes."

Marron exhaled, "Of course. You have my word. I need that money."

She hung up the phone and placed it back into her pocket.

"I'll show you…"

She said softly, looking down at the picture. She leaned back onto a large bed and felt emotions beginning to surface. She tried to calm herself. The mission she had was simple, but why did it hurt so badly?

She was too afraid to admit the reason was because she was in love with Trunks. That wasn't a reality she could admit to herself yet.

Marron stared at the photo and felt like tearing it in half.

"I hate you. I hate you so much. You took everything that I wanted…and now…I'll take everything that you want."

She pointed at the picture, talking to Bra's smiling face.

"I…hate…you…"

Her own face was red with anger. For her entire life, Marron had played the role of a classic good girl. She'd made everyone happy and given up on her own dreams. This was her moment to take revenge on the man that ruined her world.

She stood up abruptly and swung an open hand at the picture, tossing it aside and shattering the glass all over the floor. She tried to calm herself again by taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, but it was no use. Her anger was simply out of control these days.

She plopped down on the floor and began to feel intense sadness welling up inside of her. Something hadn't felt the same in her soul since Goten left her. Then her father died. Sadness had become a way of life.

All she ever wanted was for Goten to take her back. She wanted it to go back to the way it was before any of this madness. Her mind began to wander back in time to a warm, summer day.

She was engaged to Goten, planning out some minor details with Chichi in the small sitting room of their quaint, country home. 18 was at the stove heating water for some tea.

"I can't wait to see your father's face at the wedding, Marron…"

18 said happily as she watched Krillin outside through the kitchen window sparring with Goten. They always got along so well. Marron thought that this could be because Goten resembled Krillin's dear friend, Goku, so much.

"Mare! Could you grab me a water bottle, please?" Goten called towards the open window. 18 leaned her head back at her eager daughter.

"Yes, dear!" Marron called.

She smiled at Chichi and hopped up to bring a cold drink to her dearly beloved.

The warm sunlight hit her shoulders as she walked outside. He picked her up and twirled her around, kissing her on the cheek and laughing.

"Goten! I dropped the water bottle!" She laughed.

She looked down at him and saw that his face was free of worry. His hopes were still alive to become a doctor and save the world. A healthy Krillin laughed behind them, happy for his daughter. It was picture perfect.

Suddenly, her happy thoughts took a turn for the worst. She was in her room at Kame house, home alone. Goten was standing in front of her, soaking wet from the rain outside, but he couldn't talk. He was looking through her, like she didn't even exist.

"Goten…what's wrong?" Marron asked, confused that he flew all the way out to the island without calling first.

Goten hung his head low and pulled her desk chair out from the space behind him. As he sat, he placed his face into his palms and rubbed back and forth, clearly in distress.

Marron sat back onto the bed with a look of horror on her face. She knew that whatever he was going to say was going to be bad, but she never imaged how strikingly honest he would be.

"I don't…love you anymore." He whispered.

Marron's eyes welled with hot tears and her soul felt like it was ripped right from her chest.

She tried to respond, but her words stuck in her throat and refused to come out. She took in a short, deep breath and stared as water dripped from Goten's soaked hoodie onto the wood floor. She was panicking and felt like her head was about to explode. The man that she'd loved for so long and befriended for many years before that was about to leave and never come back. She choked back the sobs that were screaming to emerge and wondered why he wasn't filling this horrible silence with more words.

"I'm sorry…we're over."

His words shattered the dreadful silence. He looked up slowly and into her eyes with all sincerity.

"I can't play this game with you anymore."

Marron stood up from her bed and spilled out her emotions. Her words toppled onto each other in a blubbering, dramatic mess. It wasn't that she was trying to be dramatic, but she certainly felt better throwing everything she had in her vocabulary at him.

"I was going to marry you! This ring meant nothing? It was supposed to mean that we belonged to each other!"

She couldn't stop her anger. She couldn't stop her rage.

It was too much for Marron to handle.

She stomped her foot and started pulling at the diamond on her finger. She wanted to throw it at him. She wanted to cause him the same amount of pain that she was feeling somehow.

She could tell him what happened with Trunks.

Just as she was about to spill the biggest secret she'd ever kept in her life, Goten stood up abruptly.

"I can't fight with you about this. Not after everything that we've been through…We are done and that's the end of it. I'm gonna go. I won't be back."

Goten got up to leave, turning his back to Marron. She screamed at him, begged him, but it was no use. He was already in the sky again as she fell to the sopping ground of the tiny island. She watched him helplessly, screaming for the pain to stop, screaming for him to return to her.

The door to the room Marron hid in flew open. She jolted upwards from her spot on the floor.

"What the hell?" She yelled angrily.

Pan stood in the doorway staring at her with wide, concerned eyes. Marron realized quickly that her mascara wasn't water proof. Black tears were streaming down her face and staining her porcelain appearance with darkness. Her bloodshot eyes darted to the area around her where the broken glass from the picture frame decorated the hardwood floor.

"I…" She began, but couldn't think of a lie.

Pan cocked her head to one side, "Are you okay? This looks a little…crazy…"

Her humor was clearly in disdain for the woman before her. Marron blinked in frustration.

Marron took a deep breath. She felt the anger inside rising to dangerous levels. She couldn't let anyone know about the gift she'd received from the boss of this entire operation. It wasn't plausible indoors and it wasn't smart. She lowered her guard and exhaled in defeat.

"I know that you love Trunks…you look at him the way that I used to look at Goten. You gave five years of your life for a man who doesn't even know that you exist, didn't you?"

Pan lowered her head quietly.

"He belongs to me. Do you understand that? Me!"

Marron flung her long, golden hair over her shoulder and shoved Pan out of the way as she left the room.

Standing there alone in the room, Pan's mind began to swirl with doubt.

"No."

Pan whispered to herself. She knew that if Marron had such a hold on him, being direct was the only way. It was the only option to prove to Trunks that he was the guy that she gave everything for.

She looked down at her body. She was toned and lean, but finally had a chest worth bragging about. She looked in the mirror that Marron had also looked into and saw hope. If she was such a threat without Trunks even realizing what she'd done, maybe Pan actually had a chance. Clearly Marron was more than a little worried.

As dinner passed by, things were tense between Pan and Marron. They exchanged dirty looks several times, causing Goten and Trunks to feel on edge. Even though Goten was still furious with Trunks, he could tell that something was up and tried to search Trunks' expressions for answers. He still probably knew the real Marron better than Trunks, yet her demeanor was too different from anything he'd ever seen from her to read.

They made it through dessert and watched as the Son men and Trunks drank until their hearts' content. Bulma laughed loudly at them, clearly just as inebriated. Bra was tired and headed up to her old room for bed. Marron waited a few minutes before heading upstairs herself. She'd had just about enough of this dinner stupidity.

Marron began searching for an empty room on the second floor to hide in and sulk. She took her time, checking each room and sitting on the different beds. The Brief household was basically a glorified hotel. When she found the perfect bed, she laid back onto it and fell into deep thought again. She laid there for a long while until she began to wonder where Trunks was. Even if she was only acting as his girlfriend for the time being, it was surely nice to have his company, especially in bed.

Slowly she rose from the bed and rubbed her tired eyes. It was getting late, but she could hear some people outside. She wondered why someone went outside if they were all so drunk. She slide from the warm bed and headed to the window for some observation.

What she saw shook her very core. She couldn't believe her eyes. Her heart pulled, though she couldn't understand the logic behind the feeling. She was not in love with Trunks. This much was true out of all of the lies that she told herself daily. She couldn't deny that some feelings were there, even if they were only of possession, but certainly not love. However, she did need to complete her mission without interference or the entire deal would be off. She would lose her gift and the money would be gone.

She watched in horror as Pan laid on top of Trunks, latched onto him tightly. Trunks wasn't fighting back. It seemed as though it wouldn't end for a heated moment, but they broke apart just as quickly as it happened.

"How could he?" Marron exclaimed, alone in her room.

Her face was red and hot, both embarrassed at the betrayal from Trunks and frustrated with her own stupidity to trust that Pan wouldn't try something. The game, in her mind, was definitely on.


	36. Anonymity of Night

Marron turned around and glared angrily at the bed that she was about to share with Trunks for the night. She felt an angry rage boiling up from deep within. She felt like her brain was about to burst under the pressure.

That moment, when the room seemed to be flashing red with the pulsating anger in her body, was when she finally realized what they'd done to her. The rage, the violence and the lying all tied into that one place. It was one meeting that changed her life forever.

Marron slinked down onto the floor and curled up into shaky, pale heap of emotions. Her eyes searched the vivid memory in her mind trying to remember where she went wrong that night. She knew that if she'd just stayed in Japan, none of this would be happening.

When Marron, 18 and Yamcha got to America, they moved into a small house behind a rich family member's home. It was Yamcha's very elderly aunt that owned the property, but she was now being cared for by her ridiculously good-looking grandson. Marron thought that he looked familiar, but she didn't know how she could possibly know an American and dismissed the idea.

Over the next few days, it was quite clear that Yamcha and 18 were in over their heads with debt. Marron stood outside of Yamcha and 18's room with wide eyes as she overheard her mother sobbing.

"Yamcha…we can't afford all of this. I am totally cleaned out. Roshi only had so much stashed away…Krillin never thought that he needed life insurance."

"Well I can see why he thought that…the man was indestructible."

"Clearly not." 18 began to sob again.

Marron tore herself away from their private conversation painfully. She knew that she needed to get a job. She couldn't bear to leave that full burden on her mother, not with the state of mind that plagued her. Unfortunately, Marron's teaching license was not valid in America. She had to settle for something quicker with more flexible hours until things calmed down. She didn't know when Yamcha would call and tell her that 18 was having another meltdown.

The next day, Marron woke early and headed for the mall to locate a new job. She came home around noon feeling triumphant. Thanks to her charming personality and blonde pigtails, the local mall's hottest clothing store hired her on the spot. She felt like the popular girl in high school. Excited, Marron rushed down the hallway towards her mother's room to tell her the good news.

"Mom?"

Silence filled Marron's ears. She tapped softly on the door.

"Mom? You in there?"

Marron listened closely. Static silence was deafening. Her heart began to beat faster. She slowly reached down for the doorknob and turned it. With a squeak, the door opened. The bathroom door inside of the bedroom was ajar.

"Mom!" Marron called again, this time feeling as though time was standing still.

She rushed forward and grabbed the molding around the bathroom door to steady herself. She couldn't believe that this was actually happening. Her scared eyes slowly traveled across the tub, passing over the hand hanging over the edge and landing on a bloody razor blade. It sat drowning in a puddle of crimson red. A wine glass sat beside it on the rim of the tub. A pile of the bills sat askew just outside of the tub.

"No…" Marron whispered.

Her head spun and her vision blurred. She ran towards her lifeless mother panting and panicking.

"You can't die, too!" Marron cried in agony.

She fell to her knees at her mother's side. In shock, she plunged her hand into the tub and pulled up the plug, letting the red water run down the drain. She reached for a towel and wrapped it around her mother's lifeless body.

18 was wearing a white cocktail dress with ruffles and sequins. It hugged her hips and expanded into a princess worthy pouf above her knees. The strapless top was detailed and decorated. A large flower stood out on her right shoulder. Marron vaguely recognized the dress from photo albums. When she recalled just where she'd seen it before, tears burst forward from her sad eyes.

It was her mother's wedding dress.

Marron pulled 18 up and out of the tub effortlessly. The blood was everywhere and still flowing, giving Marron hope that 18 was still alive. Amidst the panic, she heard the front door open and close. Yamcha must have come home early to check on 18.

"Help! Help us!" Marron screamed.

The footsteps started running and entered the bedroom.

"Marron?"

Marron's heart sank a little. The voice was not Yamcha's.

"We're in here…call 1-1-9!"

The voice entered the bathroom. It was the owner of the house, Yamcha's aunt's grandson that had seemed so familiar before.

"1-1-9? You mean 9-1-1? Oh, good God! Don't move her!" He shouted, reaching for his phone and dialing with fury.

His eyes flashed between Marron, 18 and his phone several times before there was an answer. The tall man with shaggy, brown hair screeched details of the situation to them as he pulled several more towels out of the closet.

He crouched down to Marron's level and ripped the sleeve of his shirt off with force. Splitting it in two, he tied each one tightly around 18's wrists.

"You have to stop the bleeding." He said as though he'd seen such a scene before, "She's still alive."

Marron looked down at her mother. Mascara trailed down her cheeks and her red lipstick was smeared. 18 must have been trying to recreate her wedding day in her mind, Marron thought.

"I'm Mike, by the way." The brown haired, blue eyed man said to Marron.

"You look a lot like this guy I used to know…"

"You've never been here before, yeah? I doubt you know me, then. I guess I just have one of those faces."

Marron smiled through tears and felt her mother stir slightly.

"Mom? Mom, I'm here!"

"She'll be alright. I hear the sirens…she'll get through this. She's lucky that you found her."

Marron peered up at Mike and nodded. She heard several people burst through the front door. Men and women in rescue gear ran in, pushing Marron and Mike out of the way. They lifted 18 up and onto a long gurney before carting her outside towards one of the loudly screaming ambulances.

Marron chased them outside and heard a yell of horror. Yamcha was running onto the lawn from his car that was still on and beeping at the side of the road. One of the EMT's held up a hand to him, but Yamcha easily tossed him aside and rushed to 18's side.

"This is my girlfriend! Is she dead? What the hell happened?"

"Yamcha!" Marron called from the front door.

"Marron, what the hell is going on?"

Marron ran into his arms and hugged him tightly. She parted with him quickly and explained what she'd walked into. His scared eyes widened.

"Excuse me, family members can ride with us." One of the EMT's said, keeping his distance from Yamcha.

"That's them. I'll stay behind and take care of things here." Mike answered.

"Mike…thank you so much." Marron said shakily.

"It's no problem…really."

Marron smiled weakly before turning and hopping onto the ambulance with Yamcha. She tried her best to stay strong, but her memories of going to the hospital were tugging on her already patched up heart.

After several hours, the doctors assured Yamcha and Marron that 18 would be fine. Yamcha refused to leave 18's side, but she needed clothes and other things. As soon as she was well enough to be moved, her actions had earned her a one-way ticket to the psych ward.

"I'll go home and get her some clothes." Marron offered.

"I can't ask you to do that…" Yamcha said sadly.

"You aren't asking. I'm offering. I'll be quick."

Marron left the hospital in a blur of emotions. She shut herself off from the world and took a taxi to the house. The lights inside were on. Mike was still there.

"Marron! I didn't expect for you to be back so soon…how's your mom?" Mike asked from the kitchen as Marron entered the front door.

"She's stable…she'll be staying there for several days though…I came to get some of her things…"

"That's probably for the best." Mike sat a glass down he'd been drying at the sink and approached her slowly, "Are you okay?"

Marron sighed and plopped down on a chair at the table. She tried to answer, but burst into tears and hid her face in her palms.

"Hey! Hey, hey…it's okay…you did everything the right way today…"

Mike rushed to her side and placed an arm around her. He smelled like fresh laundry. It reminded her of Goten and how Chichi was always doing laundry. She rose up her head and squirmed away from him.

"I didn't. I shouldn't have left her alone."

"She's a grown woman, Marron."

"I know…"

Mike shrugged and sat back into the chair beside her.

"I'm not going anywhere tonight so…whatever you want to talk about is cool with me. I'm not leaving you alone."

Marron chuckled.

"I'm a grown woman, though."

"Trust me. I can see that."

His warm smile and twinkling eyes caught Marron's attention. He was exactly the distraction she need from life.

"Let's talk about you, then. What's your story?" Marron asked playfully, suddenly feeling better.

"Let's see…I'm single. I live down the street to keep an eye on my grandma over here. I work at a boring office but I took the day off today for no real reason…"

"So you're pretty boring."

"Yeah. You could say that. But then I came over here to check in and that sorta changed all at once."

"Sorry to bring such excitement into your life."

"Nah. It's all good."

Marron smiled and felt her cheeks burning up.

"So what about you? You got a guy back in Japan? I'll bet you do with those gorgeous eyes of yours."

Marron was taken aback by his forward lack of concern.

"I…I don't. I did. I mean, sorta. It's complicated. I moved here for a fresh start. I had to get away from all of that."

"I got you. So…if I were to ask you out for coffee sometime…that wouldn't be weird? I mean, it's weird because of the situation we found ourselves in today, but is it weird otherwise?"

Marron felt something inside of her break. She'd been so focused on everyone else that she'd forgotten about her own needs. What she'd had with Goten and what she'd almost started with Trunks was a disaster. She was lonely. She hadn't felt the warmth of a hand in her own in a long time. The stress was getting to her. She couldn't control the rush of feelings. She was lost in her own thoughts.

Before she knew it, she lunged forward and grabbed Mike by the collar of his button down shirt. She pulled him onto her lips and kissed him like she used to kiss Goten. She poured her feelings into him. Maybe he could accept the fact that this would probably be a onetime thing, but she couldn't think about that in the present moment.

They stood up and headed for the couch in the living room. She caught a brief glimpse of them in the television's reflection and grinned. She'd been deprived for too long. They tumbled down onto the couch and continued wrestling tongues for a while.

"Take off your pants." Marron demanded.

"W-what?"

"Now."

"Okay!"

Mike hastily began removing his belt as Marron slide her dress over her head. She felt exhilarating and dangerous. She'd never done anything like what she was about to do with anyone she didn't know before.

"Take me. Take me right now." Marron said in her most seductive voice, propping herself up with her elbows on the couch.

Before Mike could unbutton his shirt, she grabbed him and pulled him down on top of her. The feeling of a stranger entering her sent chills up and down her body, but in a good way. She moaned loudly and arched her back up to meet his stomach.

He lifted her up and sat back, letting her sit on top of him and take control. As she began to bounce around on him, she felt his large hands grip her sides and slide up and down her curves. His eyes were fixed ahead on her bouncing breasts, still constricted by her bra. She decided to leave it that way. Besides, if they ever did do this again, she should leave something for his imagination.

"Holy shit, girl." Mike panted.

The night was over before it had really begun. Marron laid next to Mike on the floor beside the couch panting and wondering what she should do next. He'd fallen asleep almost instantly. She started to wonder if he'd actually been wanting to ask her out for a while or if this was all brought on by the tragedy of the day. A wave of worry began to wash over her. It wasn't the time to think about it again.

Suddenly Marron's cell phone began to buzz from her purse in the dining room. She slinked up without waking Mike and answered it quickly. The voice on the other end sent her into complete regret for what she'd just done.

"Marron…Marron I gotta tell you something. I know you've been gone for a little while now and I'm sure you've been living life and shit…but I love you. I've loved you for a long time and I can't let you live half way across the world without telling you. I didn't mean to let you go. I love you and I gotta know if you love me, too. I'm saying it. I can't stand letting you live over there without knowing it anymore."

Marron hurried off to her room to talk to Trunks. She listened to him and felt her heart forcefully torn in every direction. As the sun began to come up, Marron bid him farewell and agreed to meet him when his plane landed in America. She wasn't sure if she ever loved him, but she was sure that she wanted to give it a try. The familiarity after so much spontaneity was a welcomed distraction.

When she walked back out into the living room, still in just her bra, a horrifying sight laid in a bloody mess before her. Mike was dead, his throat slit in his sleep. A dark figure stood over him still holding the bloody knife. Marron backed into a wall, too terrified to scream.

"Hey, Marron…long time, no see."

Marron recognized the voice.

"M-Mikio…how did you…why are you…"

"Well I really didn't want to kill my half-brother, but seeing as you fucked him already…I didn't have a choice."

"Brother?"

"I need you to do something for me, Marron."

"I'm not doing anything for you!"

"If you don't, then your mommy and your fake daddy will end up just like Mike! Get the picture?"

Marron looked down at Mike's lifeless body and cringed.

"What do I need to do?"

"Go put some clothes on. Then we'll talk. But I'll tell you this now…you have no idea how powerful you're about to become."


	37. A Confused Heart

Goten woke up one morning feeling like he was on top of the world. He looked down at Bra, who was still fast asleep, and felt his heart skip a beat. He never thought he'd be this happy to get married, especially after the wreck of an engagement that he'd had with Marron.

He looked down at her hand that rested on his chest. The ring looked so perfect on Bra's finger. It wasn't huge and gaudy like Bulma's ring, though Goten was positive that Vegeta didn't pick that out nor pay for it, and it wasn't extremely modest like Chichi's ring. He was quite proud of it, especially considering that it only took one month's pay. The new job was really starting to make Goten feel more comfortable in life than he'd ever felt financially. Trunks was a very generous boss.

He rolled over and laid on his back, staring at the top of Bra's luxurious childhood canvas bed. He loved the way the curtains swallowed the whole bed, but she didn't want to take anything from her childhood bedroom to their apartment. He figured that she wanted to start over fresh with all of their jointly-bought furniture, but the feeling of being inside a very cushy, expensive tent was enough to make Goten want to stay in bed all day.

Unfortunately, it was a Friday, and his work alarm was sure to go off at any minute. With a big yawn, Goten picked up his charging phone that was next to his head and began scrolling through emails.

As he was reading a news article about a celebrity doing something stupid again, a new message pinged softly, causing Bra to mumble and roll over to her other side. Trunks' name appeared on the screen above the text.

"Important meeting, please meet me downstairs in fifteen."

Goten thought for a moment about the encounter with Trunks when he brought Marron into the lab the previous night. He was so angry to see her face again. It wasn't that he was jealous, it was that his best friend disappeared off of the face of the Earth for her. Maybe some people would in fact call that jealousy.

Goten might be accept the whole thing if Trunks' trip was truly for heavy work load or even mental sanity, but putting your life on hold for a woman like Marron? Marron was nothing more than a liar and master manipulator, Goten thought. He knew what kind of girl she'd become over the many years he'd known her so well. There had to be some kind of motive, likely monetary, causing her to cling to Trunks so tightly. Marron never did anything for no reason.

When Trunks pursued her before, she didn't seem interested in anything but getting Goten away from Bra. Trunks would never be number one choice with her. In all honesty, Trunks deserved so much better. He sighed and wished someone else would have come into his best friend's life before his ex fiancée.

Lost in his negative thoughts, he rolled over and put an arm around Bra's pregnant belly. He buried his nose in her hair and kissed the back of her head.

"I am going to get ready for work now…" he whispered softly.

Bra grumbled in acknowledgement but quickly started to snore quietly again after snuggling her pillow. Goten laughed, knowing that she would be so embarrassed if she knew what she actually does when she's asleep. Bra was the most difficult person to wake up in the morning. He was glad that she wasn't working just yet. The hormone spikes and moodiness would surely result in her getting fired by someone, or worse, knocking someone out cold.

He got out of bed and threw on one of the suits hanging neatly in the giant walk-in closet. The plethora of clothing, purses, shoes and accessories made Goten wonder how much Bra would accumulate at their new place over time. He was glad that she'd brought more than one suit for this visit, though. Bra was very good about keeping Goten prepared for things. However, she was getting so close to the end of her pregnancy that she seemed to want to stay around her mom's house all the time now. Just in case something happened, she said, but Goten suspected she was also starting to get scared and trying to seek support from more than just Goten.

He left the red-walled, dream bedroom and headed down the stairs. He walked into the kitchen happily seeking a quick breakfast, but turned around and yelled as soon as he saw what was going on. Trunks and Marron were engaged in a very intense make out session against the kitchen island.

"Guys! Oh, my God!" Goten scoffed angrily, covering his eyes and grumbling.

They stopped and laughed, knocking over a few spices on the counter.

"Sorry, Goten! I'm ready, let's go."

Trunks said, kissing Marron on the cheek and winking.

Goten shot her a suspicious look before punching Trunks in the arm and putting on his trademark beanie. Trunks promptly made fun of the "hat", but Goten ignored him. No one could take Goten's beanie away from him.

Outside, Goten sighed loudly as they kicked off. He didn't speak, but his attitude towards Trunks was clearly annoyed.

"Aw, c'mon, Goten…I'm sorry about everything. I had a great night and I feel so much better…can we just be friends again?"

Trunks was smiling like an idiot. Goten rolled his eyes and remembered that he used to have the same dumb smile on his face two years ago from the same girl.

"We never stopped being friends…you're just being stupid." Goten responded coldly.

Trunks shrugged, "I'm not. I love her, Goten. I'm sorry that you feel so…"

Trunks was cut off abruptly as he banged right into another flying saiyan in the sky.

"Ow!" Tarble yelled as he rubbed his head and pushed Trunks away from him.

Trunks turned red, "How did you not see us? How did I not sense you? What the hell are you doing up here so early?" Trunks hollered in a confused daze.

Goten laughed hysterically as they rubbed their heads and frowned at each other. Tarble was very clearly disappointed to have run into Trunks of all people, seemingly odd to them both. Trunks had no idea that Tarble knew that he kissed Pan while he was drunk the night before.

"I'm sorry. I was just out training…I know it's early. I wanted to get back before Pan realizes that I've got a head start on her today."

Tarble blushed at the mention of Pan. Trunks noticed his awkward demeanor and called him on it.

"Do you like her or something? What the hell is with that stupid look on your face?" Trunks asked without tact.

Goten stopped laughing and was taken aback by his outward expression of disapproval.

"Hey, man…why do you care?" Goten said, jumping on the opportunity to defend Tarble and let off just a little more frustration with Trunks.

Tarble shrugged off the question.

"I've gotta get going…"

He flew past Goten and headed back towards the Brief household.

"Thanks for having my back, man…" Trunks said angrily with a hint of sarcasm.

Goten laughed, "Well, consider us even. I feel better now. So, Marron jumped your bones last night? Guess she took advantage of your drunken state of mind."

Goten felt weirdly at ease joking about the subject. Trunks blushed violently.

"Well, maybe, yeah…but whatever."

Goten continued to pry, "So do you think Tarble really likes Pan? That's weird…ha, especially since Pan is older than him now! Or is she? He's technically still got the mind of a thirty-something-year-old, right?"

Trunks glanced at Goten but then continued looking forward as they flew. He seemed to clam up even worse at the mention of Pan. Goten remembered that Trunks was never one to kiss and tell, but he never seemed to mind discussing Pan before. It all seemed a little fishy, but he decided to drop it and let Trunks cool off a bit.

They arrived at Capsule Corp headquarters within the next ten minutes and headed up to Trunks' office. The workers seemed overjoyed at the arrival of their beloved president. It was clearly a fake display justified only by fear of job security. Trunks was a friendly and casual CEO, that was for sure, but everyone was well aware of the still lingering negative feelings about Bulma leaving the job. He waved cordially and continued onto an elevator with Goten before anyone had the chance to talk to him and bring up his hiatus.

"Phew…I can only imagine what this meeting will be like."

Trunks leaned forward towards the floor and began to sweat. He was genuinely nervous. Goten straightened his tie and tried to look put-together.

"I'm not nervous. This is all about your wonderful American business deals, right?"

Trunks looked up at him and frowned at his sarcasm.

"Yes. But I hate talking to all of these guys at one time. Hitake called the meeting and he's just such a douche."

Goten paused as he was checking out his reflection in metal elevator door.

"Hitake? The older guy? Oh, God…he was starting to threaten my job, you know! He wanted to fly me out to your hotel just to convince you to come back! It was almost like he was trying to get me out of the country on purpose or something."

Trunks frowned, "Yeah, he's a weird guy. He used to be alright, but the last several months he's turned into a real pain in the ass. Don't worry about him, I won't let him do anything stupid. I think he used to have the hots for my mom, too…it's just weird."

The elevator pinged and opened on the fiftieth floor. The largest of the five conference rooms was setup with tables in a square shape for the meeting. The projection screen was up and ready, waiting to be connected to New York, London, and Dubai. The company expanding past the Eastern hemisphere was never a reality that they could depend on, but it seemed Trunks was skilled at breaking down barriers that Bulma could not. The executives sat in their usual seats, with representatives from a few other countries present as well. Hitake sat near the middle, but watched as Trunks and Goten entered. It was like a dark cloud was settled in the center of the room. To their dismay, he hopped up from his seat and ran over to them eagerly.

"Mr. Brief, you are looking well. We missed your great leadership while you were gone."

Trunks smiled and shook his hand with some pride, but Goten frowned with confusion. Hitake never indicated to Goten that he thought anything more of Trunks than he thought of a pile of garbage. He outwardly and openly pursued the title of CEO. Perhaps he was on his best behavior for some unknown business reason.

Goten headed for the table and sat down, avoiding any chance for Hitake to speak to him directly. He prepared his computer for note taking and was joined by Trunks shortly after. He sat at the head of the long table and opposite the projection screen. On his command, the phones would connect across the globe and the meeting would commence.

After a long two hours of presentations and debating, deals were made and the company had a new partner in the West. Trunks looked exhausted, but proud. Goten had written 98 pages of notes. It all seemed successful. As they began to gather everything to leave, Hitake approached Trunks and Goten again.

"I hear that your wife is just about due…seems very fast. Are you an alien or something?"

Goten and Trunks both flushed red.

"No, no…uh…we just didn't tell anyone for a few months. She's right at nine months right now!"

Goten began to fidget with his hands, but Trunks elbowed him discretely. Hitake nodded happily, appearing to not notice anything unusual.

"Oh and she's not my wife…yet. I mean, we're engaged." Goten continued, increasingly more nervous as he went.

Realizing that his friend was getting panicky, Trunks interjected.

"So what can I do for you?"

His pride was clearly at its peak at the moment after a successful breakthrough completely credited to him.

Hitake cleared his throat, "I'd like to invite your family to my home for dinner. I think it would be a fine occasion, fitting for your recent…success."

Trunks beamed happily, but Goten's weird and creepy radar in his mind was definitely going off. Something seemed strange about the proposal.

"I'll be seeing you there this evening then. Please bring your mother and father, a date if you would like. Goten, please join us with that delightful wi-I mean, fiancée, of yours. I'd love to meet her."

Goten smiled awkwardly and nodded, but felt no need to attend any dinners. He started to put on his jacket and pulled on his red beanie, motioning for Trunks to follow him. With a polite good-bye, they practically ran away from the man. His eyes burned into their backs as they left.

On their way home, Goten and Trunks spoke lightly of the events that transpired and didn't feel the need to expand upon it any further. Goten agreed to go to the dinner, but shared his concerns with Trunks first. Trunks dismissed his worries and continued to insist that it was all okay. After all, Hitake had been around for years and would do anything to please Bulma if she was involved.

At the Brief household, Pan and Tarble were in the front yard sparring. Trunks landed near Pan and made eye contact with her, causing her to blush bright red against her pale skin. She smiled and waved before her eyes darted back to the ground. Trunks waved back but didn't approach her.

Tarble landed a hard punch on her shoulder and knocked her backwards. She snapped out of her trance and sighed with frustration.

"Aw, man! Can't we take a break? I'm beat!"

Tarble landed and looked at Trunks. Goten noticed that the intense, electric anger shooting between them seemed overly personal. Trunks hadn't mentioned any problems with his now younger uncle before. He had no idea what to make of it, only that Pan seemed to know what was bothering them and also seemed to be in the middle of it.

"Trunks!" Marron called as she ran out of the doorway.

She flew up into his arms and pushed him backwards. She kissed him fairly inappropriately for public eyes, but Goten dismissed it and scolded them playfully.

"Get a room!" He said as he started to walk around them.

Marron piped up excitedly, "Okay, let's!"

Trunks smiled dangerously at her. She dragged him up from the sidewalk and started towards the house behind Goten.

Pan watched them sadly. She felt her heart beating slower and slower like everything she'd wanted was for nothing. It was becoming clear that everything Pan thought would become a reality was never going to happen.

"Are you okay?" Tarble asked, holding out a hand for Pan to take.

She looked up at him from the ground and asked softly, "What's wrong with me? Is something wrong with me?"

Tarble shot another angry glance at the now closed front door and then looked back to Pan.

"Nothing is wrong with you. He's crazy not to notice how great you are."

Pan got up and fell forward, landing in Tarble's arms.

"I'm sorry! See? I'm such a klutz. No wonder he doesn't like me. I'm unattractive and lame. He hasn't even said anything about me going super saiyan!"

"Why do you really care so much about what he thinks of you? I happen to think that you are perfect just the way you are. I've told you that before."

"I know but…I just want him to notice! Like, would it hurt for him to be like, oh hey, Pan…you turned super saiyan! You're not lame anymore!"

"Is that really all that you want for him to notice?"

"No! I mean…he could maybe notice that I have boobs finally!"

Tarble turned bright red. She was pressed right up against his chest, clearly proving her point.

"Sorry…that was weird. I just wish…well, I wish he was more like you."

Tarble seemed surprised.

"What? More like me?"

"Yeah. You're kinda…perfect. Any girl would totally love having you as a boyfriend."

"Any…girl…"

Tarble stared down at the ground. He realized that he was still holding her waist from when she tripped, but she hadn't pulled away from him yet. He didn't want to let go. He couldn't let her go.

"I think you are just the ideal kind of guy. You're sweet, handsome, super strong…man…the list goes on and on and…"

He cut Pan off when he lunged forward and kissed her out of nowhere.

Pan's first instinct was to punch him, but a fuse was lit inside of her. This kiss was different from her kiss with Trunks. This kiss was soft, unforced and gentle. This kiss was easy. This kiss felt real.

He held completely still, keeping his lips pressed against hers with the utmost care. She realized what was happening and pulled away from him suddenly. She hadn't expected such a move from him.

What was she supposed to say? The tan saiyan before her had just done the unimaginable to her fragile psyche. His strong face, though younger, still showed years of battle and knowledge beyond Pan's wildest imagination. She wasn't sure that she could ever understand everything going on in his head. She also wasn't sure what his intentions were.

"I'm not sure…what's happening here." Pan said in an almost inaudible whisper.

Tarble rose her chin to his with one hand and pulled her closer to him with the other.

"You don't need to be sure…you only need to be willing to trust me."

Pan felt the same feeling that she'd felt the night before building up inside of her. She felt her face getting numb with heat and her heart beating faster and faster. Her body felt like it was floating but on fire. Her lips twitched awkwardly and her head felt cloudy.

"Trust you?" She asked.

Tarble sighed, "You don't trust me? I'll be sure to keep earning that, then."

He brushed her hair away from her face and brought his to hers. Her lips stopped twitching and her heart seemed to stop beating. It was like a whole new world exploded inside of her soul. Why was this happening when something so different happened when she kissed Trunks? Didn't she love Trunks? She hadn't even thought of Tarble like this…or had she? His warm lips against hers sent her head spinning up in the clouds.

"I'm…not sure…we should…do this…" Pan said between lingering, light kisses.

Tarble stopped for a moment and looked into her eyes, making her feel completely exposed to the world. He had a way of making her open up to him without trying, but his gaze into her eyes was almost overbearing.

"You're like…fifteen now." Pan stated with guilt.

Tarble laughed, "You think I'm too young for you now?"

Pan broke away from him and pouted.

"Well…you look like it."

Tarble sighed, "Well, I guess this is complicated…isn't it? Do I not interest you that way then?"

He certainly did interest her. He was chiseled, like every other saiyan around, but in a different way. He was built much more compact than the others. Tarble's mind was also just as powerful, if not more so, than his body. He was short like Pan and had a softer look than Vegeta, though they were similar in appearance. He was nothing short of the whole package.

"I'm not…sure. I just…Trunks was my first kiss last night. I'm guessing that you saw it and that's why you were being so weird with him, right?"

She felt herself falling farther away from the dream world that she'd entered with him moments earlier.

"I'm just not sure what all of these feelings mean! I'm not sure…"

She crossed her arms and began to tear up. Tarble felt guilty for confusing her so badly and backed away with his head lowered.

"I'm a patient man, even if I look like a teenager now. Don't let yourself feel rushed and don't be fooled by my youthful appearance. I've only got the…purest of intentions. I apologize for my rash decision."

He couldn't have been more sincere.

Pan began to respond, but he was already flying away. She didn't mean to hurt him. Trunks had Marron, so obviously he thought that he had a chance with her now.

"How on Earth did this happen?" Pan exclaimed to herself, stomping her foot on the ground and grumbling.


	38. Growing Pains

Tarble sat down in the grass next to a giant tree in the field that he'd stargazed in with Pan so long ago. Even though he wanted to stay at the house and convince Pan that kissing her wasn't so bad, he couldn't bear it. He was a man of honor. He had to get away and think about what was best for her.

The hard truth that Pan loved Trunks and not Tarble became clear to him with her reaction. But why did he feel such an intense pang of emotions the second he kissed her if she felt no connection with him? He was well aware of saiyan mating and bonding rituals that used to occur on planet Vegeta, but he wasn't sure how it would feel to be bonded himself. He hadn't experienced anything like he'd just felt with Pan, even with his late wife.

His heart began to race at the thought of being bonded to Pan. He was thrilled to feel so exhilarated. He began to feel anxious about the biting process. What if she decided to be with him? When the time came, what if she didn't bite him back?

He dismissed the idea. If he had to guess, Pan probably knew nothing of the ritualistic biting that occurred between saiyans and their soulmate. If she didn't do it back, he'd just explain it away. He felt saddened when his mind traveled to the lack of intimacy with his wife, Gure.

When he married Gure, it was sweet and loving. There was passion of course, as much as there could be, but nothing like the flood of raw feelings that he felt when Pan was near him. He could not conceive a child with Gure's species, so they rarely attempted any form of intimacy other than simple kissing. He missed his adoring wife, but the age reversal seemed to have affected his brain and hormones in an unexpected way. The pain of missing Gure was significantly less than it was before he entered the chamber. Even with five years to mourn, it was unnatural how quickly he felt better about her death when the reversal began.

He hadn't spoken to anyone, even Pan, about his physical changes inside the chamber. The torture of reverse maturation was harsh and very devastating. His body ached for days on end and felt as though it was stretching from the inside out. His muscle mass did grow with his training, but his capacity for it was less with a younger body. He couldn't quite explain it in a way that would make sense to anyone but someone who experienced the same type of aging. Unfortunately, Pan's experience was far too different to compare to his own.

In addition to the now raging hormones, he felt dangerously confined to solitude. For him, solitude was how he spent most of his adult life. Gure was always out with her friends or working, so Tarble completed project after project in his lab without much social interaction.

Earth seemed to be the polar opposite. He'd never had so much attention from a similar species in his lifetime.

Human life versus life on his planet with Gure was finally changing for the better when he felt himself falling for Pan before the chamber. Now that he'd acted on his urges, the idea that she would never love him back hurt him worse than his physical pain that was still occurring from his changes. It felt like his heart was tearing in half and only a miracle could glue it back together. Rejection, he thought, has to be the worst thing that you can experience besides death as a human.

Continuing his deep dive into thought, he almost laughed out loud. Rejection compared to death? What could he possibly be thinking? He'd lost his family, his wife, his friends…everything when the unknown saiyans took him captive. If they would have killed Vegeta, he wouldn't even have a home to live in on Earth.

Then it hit him.

The feelings that were welling up inside of him weren't exactly feelings that he'd ever felt before because his brain was reverting back to that of a teenager's brain. Everything was huge, everything was horrific and everything meant the end of life as he knew it. Even if he logically told himself that there were other women on this planet and that one kiss doesn't mean that they were soulmates in the grand scheme of things, his brain was still screaming. His heart was still reeling in pain. He had to get his mind off of all of these feelings.

As his head spun, he fell back onto the cool grass and stared up at the sky. It was somewhere around five-thirty in the afternoon, so the sun was just starting to set on the cool, early-January sky.

It was strange to look up and see only one sun and one moon, as Tarble's previous planet had many. He remembered the purple skies filled with other planets and strange, wispy formations similar to Earth's clouds. The sound of the birds on Earth was so peaceful, not like the creatures of his planet that screeched and hollered at all hours of the day and night.

This planet was beautiful, he thought. Going home was not an option any longer even if he could. His new life on planet Earth was going to last for the rest of his life. His only hope was that he could convince Pan, his best friend, to be at his side for this adventure.

Back at the Brief household, Pan sat in the living room watching tv while Trunks explained to Bulma that Hitake requested her presence at dinner. Bulma wasn't exactly pleased with the invitation being so short notice, but quickly admitted that refusal was not an option.

"That man has been on my case for years. He's always felt entitled to my position. That's probably why he takes out his hate for you on Goten. He knows that I would kick his ass if he harassed you for even one second!"

Trunks waved his hand dismissively at his mother.

"I am perfectly capable of defending my job, mom."

His prideful, Vegeta-like smirk lit up across his face and Bulma laughed at the arrogance Trunks showed.

"I would've believed you six weeks ago, dear. Now you're just a spoiled brat with lots of money that did something that could've destroyed the company. As least that's how he sees you. You're lucky that your deals went through over there. Now you're a super star with even more money. Gosh…no wonder the man takes his hate out on Goten. You're just too popular to be mean to." Bulma gushed with complete sarcasm.

Vegeta, who was hovering around the fridge in the kitchen, began to grow tired of the chit-chat and stepped into the foyer.

"I'm going to get ready for this dinner party. If this man has a problem with my wife and son, I'd like to hear what he has to say. Perhaps his complaints are legitimate."

Bulma frowned and crossed her arms, causing her daughter to laugh and point from the staircase.

"Oh, mom…you can't handle anyone hating on Trunks or yourself. If it was someone hating on dad you'd encourage them!"

Vegeta blushed and stormed up the stairs past his giggling daughter scoffing and muttering under his breath.

"There's something else that you should know about. I didn't want to say it in front of dad."

Bulma leaned closer with interested ears.

"It's…it's like he knows about us. He seems weirdly interested in Bra and Goten's relationship, not to mention he asked if we were aliens today." Trunks paused for a reaction.

Bulma and Bra stopped laughing and looked at Trunks with wide eyes.

"He was kinda kidding though. It was still weird." Goten added, following Bra protectively.

"Aliens? What an ass." Bulma retorted with a flick of her wrist.

Goten shrugged and answered, "Well…aren't we aliens? It's not all that much of an insult."

Bra looked offended. She stretched her back a bit and turned towards Goten when she stepped onto the foyer floor, hoisting her baby belly with her.

"I am no alien. Dad and Tarble are aliens, your dad is an alien, but I am just a beautiful Earthling with super powers!"

She smiled and framed her face with her dainty hands. Goten laughed and hugged her gently.

Trunks rolled his eyes at them, showing his discomfort. He saw Marron outside sitting on the porch and decided to ask her if she'd join him at the dinner. He excused himself from the conversation and headed out the door.

Pan peered out of the window and watched as Trunks sat beside Marron and placed an arm around her shoulder. Jealousy burned her pale face as she warmed up to a bright red. She sighed and turned back towards the tv before replaying the scene between her and Tarble the night before in her mind.

Obviously no one had seen them, which offered her some comfort. She could have kissed him back with more effort. She could have let him keep kissing her.

She reached up and touched her lips lightly. A small buzz of exhilaration shot from her fingertip to her toes. She shivered and felt a wave of pleasure wash over her. She knew that she was attracted to him, but could she just forget about her mission to steal Trunks away from Marron?

She pictured Trunks' blue eyes and melted. His light-purple hair contrasted so nicely against his tan skin. She continued to picture his chiseled body. She could only imagine what he must look like underneath those business suits.

As she began to practically drool, Tarble re-entered her mind as though he was competing for a spot in her daydream. His onyx eyes matched his raven-black hair, but softened into a warm smile that would melt any girl's heart.

She'd seen Tarble shirtless many times during training. He was built differently from Trunks and from the saiyans in her own family. He was smaller and more compact. He had the same amount of muscles in a smaller frame. It was strangely attractive to her. She was built similarly herself, making him the perfect sparring partner.

Her mind began to enter another realm. The perfect sparring partner could also make for the perfect partner in the bedroom as well.

She pictured Tarble in front of her in a dark bedroom, staring down at her as she sat on the edge of the bed.

"Are you ready?" He'd ask, in his strange yet polite, alien accent.

"I'm ready." She'd answer.

He'd begin to kiss her. She recalled his soft lips and delicate kiss. He made her feel so vulnerable yet safe at the same time. He started to let his hands travel down her arms. She shivered.

"Pan."

"Yeah…" Pan whispered.

"Pan?"

Pan woke up suddenly and stared up at a concerned Trunks. He was shaking her arms harshly.

"You were dreaming…it was weird…"

Pan shot up from her seat and looked around. Everyone else was in another room. She sighed and relaxed a bit. No one else seemed to notice her secret, erotic dreams.

"We're all leaving now...Here's a house key. You can keep it since you're around so much, but we probably won't be back until late tonight. Feel free to spend the night in one of the rooms if you'd like to."

Trunks looked down awkwardly and tossed her the key. Pan could only blush in response.

"If you want any food, help yourself. Let's go Vegeta!" Bulma shouted.

Bulma straightened her necklace and cleared her throat. All but her husband had joined her near the front door.

"I'm coming, woman! Perhaps if you knew how to iron properly, I'd already have pants on and we could leave! Blasted…iron…damn it!"

Vegeta's voice echoed through the house. Clearly, he did not enjoy using an iron nor did he enjoy wearing human dress clothes. They heard him chuck the iron across the room, sending it into the drywall.

Bulma, Bra and Trunks laughed at their typical saiyan prince with glee. Goten gave Marron a look, one that she hadn't seen in a while. They always used to joke about how weird the Brief family was.

He felt himself finally trying to forgive her lately, seeing as she wasn't going away any time soon. He knew that Trunks would keep her here as long as he could and pay for anything she could ever desire.

Marron smiled back at Goten politely and turned towards the door. Strangely, she didn't feel angry at him anymore either. She felt relief from her ongoing grief. Perhaps she really was beginning to have feelings for Trunks.

"Trunks, can we take the black one? It's my favorite." Marron asked with a high-pitched, begging voice.

"Sure. I've got the capsule…here. Go start it up." Trunks tossed a purple capsule into Marron's hands after digging it out of his pocket. He had no issue with letting her decide which fancy vehicle to ride in next, though Goten couldn't picture him letting anyone else actually drive it.

When they all arrived at the Hitake home, it was much grander than that of the average executive. Even Bulma seemed surprised that it was so large. The giant, iron gates opened slowly to reveal a long, stone driveway that circled around a majestic water fountain. The home itself was set back from the drive and looked to have at least three stories, if not more. The spiral staircase was lit up by the exquisite chandelier hanging behind the front windows.

"Wow!" Marron said as they returned their vehicles to their capsules. "I never realized that we'd be going to a place like this!"

"Would you like a house like this one day? It's not beyond reach, mom just liked the more modern look." Trunks answered rather seriously.

Bulma shot Trunks an annoyed glance, but Marron's eyes twinkled with possibility. Bra seemed unmoved by the home, as did Vegeta. Goten wondered what he himself would feel like if he'd been raised with that kind of money. To him, the house was a castle.

Back at the Brief house, Pan contemplated her dream about Tarble. She felt excited in a way she'd never felt before in person. Sex wasn't something she'd thought about before the chamber. Now that she was older, physically, her dreams had gotten much more erotic. Maybe it was her body telling her that she was ready for something more than just kissing. The thought was a little scary. She hadn't so much as been on a real date at fifteen, let alone anything more than kissing.

She shuffled about on the couch and stared up at the large, widescreen television as she pondered her options. She began to wonder what it would be like if she did have feelings for Tarble instead of Trunks.

She'd never had a friend like Tarble. She could tell him anything. He divulged his deepest secrets to her as well. Age difference aside, Trunks never did share anything that personal with her. The night she spent in the lab with him had been filled with jokes and flirting, but her age was like an invisible boundary that Trunks refused to cross. Tarble on the other hand didn't seem to have any concept of age at all when they spoke before the chamber. He treated her like she was just like any other person. He became the closest friend she'd ever had without even trying. If Trunks cared about her that much, wouldn't it be that easy with him?

She laid back on the couch and rested her head on the arm rest. All of these thoughts running through her mind were too much to handle at once. Feeling sleepy again, she let her eyes drift shut.

In and out of consciousness, Tarble's sweet smile and Trunks' sexy grin danced interchangeably throughout her mind. After only a few moments with her thoughts and fighting an inevitable sleep, the front door creaked open. Pan opened her eyes and peeked over the top of the couch. Tarble was there, looking awkward.

What should she do? He seemed upset, but in a very personal way. He didn't look angry, but he did look devastated. Without thinking, she motioned for him to sit next to her, but he hesitated. He cleared his throat and stared down at his feet.

Pan smiled and motioned again for him to have a seat. He reluctantly moved towards her and sat on the couch. He continued his desperate search for something else in the room to focus on, avoiding her eyes completely. He tried to speak a few times, but words seemed to escape him. Small whispers escaped his nervous lips, breaking the silence from time to time. Finally, he spoke quietly.

"I…had to see you."

Pan sat up and felt her cheeks flush red.

Tarble was also blushing, but he seemed embarrassed for himself alone. He was truly sorry for kissing her without her consent. Pan found it odd. Normally, if a boy liked a girl, he kissed her at some point. If she didn't like him back, the kiss may be one sided, but they moved on from it. Tarble seemed to think he'd committed a horrible sin against her. Pan smiled to herself.

Being who she was, the granddaughter of a celebrity and a notorious tomboy, most other kids in school made her feel like a freak of nature. She had some friends, but she never let anyone in like she let Tarble in. He seemed to be telling her without words how much he regretting making her feel uncomfortable and betrayed. She wanted to tell him that she wasn't mad, and that she kind of liked the kiss, but it was too hard. She wasn't sure how she felt exactly.

Finally, the silence was just too much. She decided that she had to say something.

Pan's heart began to pound. If love was something to be earned, why on Earth wasn't Trunks earning it? Why wasn't he seeking her out to make her feel like he did love her, too? Was the kiss she stole from him just something that made her feel good in the moment? Was it just to take advantage of his drunken state? What if she never actually loved Trunks at all?

She felt her body getting hot and bothered by the tension filling the air between them. He noticed that her expression was changing with her thoughts. He was watching her now, staring politely and smiling weakly. In an effort to break the tension, Pan leaned forward and pulled her feet under her legs on the couch. Tarble chuckled at her cute pose.

Her mind exploded with thoughts. She'd come so far, casting her teenaged years aside for Trunks. She'd disappointed her parents, broken their hearts and shattered their hopes for her. Why should she cast aside the one person who understood the loss and the pain of the chamber? The only person who understood what it was like to be alone for five virtual years was the man sitting in front of her. This man who literally reversed his entire existence to relive a youth that he never had.

She felt her heart giving way. She was tired of feeling crazy. She was tired of being starry-eyed in love with feelings that would never be reciprocated. Maybe that was lust and love was something different. Maybe love took more to create. Either way she was alone in this, in serious trouble, without Tarble.

"I just might…" Pan began in a whisper.

Tarble perked up and listened for more eagerly.

She couldn't continue easily. She wanted to hide her truth from even herself. She wanted to hide her feelings forever, believe that the only man that she'd wanted for years was the only man she could ever love, but as she stared at the curvature of his mouth and the soulfulness filling his dark, warm eyes, her barriers began to break. She couldn't hide anymore. She had to take what she knew was right into her own hands.

"I don't know how to say this…it's crazy, I feel like I barely know you but at the same time…I know you."

Tarble nodded, "You do…and you don't."

Pan blushed scarlet. What a confusing response. She decided to continue anyway.

"This whole time that I've been obsessing over Trunks…you just let me talk about him. I didn't realize that it probably bugged the hell out of you. I didn't realize…that your feelings might be different than mine…"

Tarble smiled and looked down. His eyes slowly rose from the floor and traveled up Pan's torso. She felt herself melt into a delicious state of danger when his eyes finally met hers again.

"Are they so different, though?"

"If you would have asked me that two days ago…or even a few hours ago…I might have denied everything. I might have said…Pan, you're crazy, it's all about Trunks. Like, that's just the truth. But now…"

Tarble smiled wider.

"But now?"

"Now things are clearer to me. I don't think that I was ever meant to be with Trunks…"

"Oh?"

"It's like that crush I always had on him was my childhood…now that I'm an adult…it's different. I feel different. I feel like I want to…experience new things."

"I'm…relieved to hear you say that…New things are my favorite things to try."

Pan gulped. Tarble's glazed over expression was intoxicating. She wasn't sure if he was intending to be so alluring or if it was just how he looked in dim, window-light.

"What I'm s-saying is…maybe I have these feelings that like…I don't know how to express right now…"

"Expression is an art form. I find that when I'm at a loss…experimentation can help to form a new hypothesis."

"A new hypothesis?"

Pan laughed and inadvertently scooted closer to him.

"Come on…if you're going to be spending more time with a man of science, you'll have to get used to terms such as 'hypothesis'."

Pan began to feel more confident.

"What else would I have to get used to?"

"That's a very serious question, Pan. You're treading in deeper waters, now."

"How so?"

"Because what you would have to get used to is…seriously dangerous."

"Dangerous how?"

"Do you…want me to show you?"

"Just an example…?"

"An example, then."

"Maybe…I don't know if I'm…what if I can't handle it?"

"It's highly likely that the experimentation phase could turn catastrophic…but that's what makes it so fun, right?"

Pan realized that he was now only millimeters from her face. They were practically sitting on top of each other. The lusty haze filling the air was so thick that someone could cut it with a knife. She could feel his breath. She could practically taste his still-familiar lips on her own. She looked at his perfect mouth and back up to his onyx eyes and felt herself go numb. She felt warm on the inside, like it was bursting from within and spreading over her body. She wanted to kiss him again. She wanted to know what it was like to kiss him back. She wanted this now.

"I'm sorry…I think I should probably go." Tarble whispered, blinking rapidly and scooting away from her.

"What? Why?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"No?"

Tarble cleared his throat and placed a pillow on his lap.

"I believe we should pause before things get out of hand."

Pan realized why he was hiding under a pillow and blushed violently.

"You're right! You're right, you're right. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get so…"

She paused and stared up at him with lust-filled eyes. The silence filled the room up. A car drove by outside, lighting up Tarble's face for a brief moment. She sighed and felt her stomach do a back flip. She bit her lip. He seemed to relax a bit. She saw him take in a deep breath and braced herself for whatever he was about to say.

"Fuck it."

Tarble tossed the pillow aside and reached out abruptly for Pan's waist. She thrust herself forward into his arms. Their lips met in a fiery blaze, igniting a passion that she didn't know she could feel. He was warm and delicious, making her stomach flip around happily in excited bounds. Sparks were flying. She couldn't contain all of the animalistic instincts she was feeling.

Suddenly, Pan's phone rang. She looked over to it, still kissing Tarble, but he reached up and pulled her face back towards him.

"Ignore it." He said breathlessly.

"Okay."

Their makeout session continued. The phone rang a second time. Pan was beginning to feel a little nervous. When the phone rang for a third call, Pan pulled away and grabbed for it.

When she answered, her tone changed instantly. She hopped of off the couch with horror on her face. Her skin paled. Tarble knew that something was very, very wrong.


	39. We're Out of Time

The front door towered over them as they stood waiting for an answer. Trunks peered through the clear, glass windows adorning the front of the jet-black door curiously.

"Hey, check out that staircase!" He said enthusiastically. "Why don't we have one like that, mom? I might consider building one in my house."

Bulma groaned and crossed her arms. She, too peered inside and scoffed when she saw the spiraling masterpiece. Jealousy was quite apparent.

"I think it's totally overdone. And what do you mean your house? Are you settling down now and building your dream home?"

While Trunks pondered her question seriously, Bulma directed her gaze to Marron. Bulma, like most everyone else, was still bothered by the fact that Trunks had been gone for so long. It seemed that his achievements overseas remained completely unnoticed by his family. Marron blushed and looked down at her pink flats.

"I think it would be nice, Trunks." Marron muttered timidly.

"See? I'm not the only one with a taste for true, high-class artistry here." Trunks responded while putting an arm around her.

His cockiness was at an all-time high these days, but Marron liked it when he was cocky. She found herself swooning over his slanted smirk and his sexy, blue eyes narrowed in on whoever he was trying to rise higher than every time. In this case however, it was his mother. Bulma rolled her eyes and looked back through the door. She was unmoved by her son's lack of financial modesty.

"Where the hell is this damn guy? I'm hungry." Vegeta grumbled.

Goten laughed and agreed, causing Vegeta to shoot him an annoyed look. Marron considered how strange it must be for Vegeta. His son was dating the daughter of a woman who apparently almost killed him in what she called her "dark" years. His daughter was about to have the child of his rival's son. It all seemed like such complicated drama. She briefly felt a creeping sense of dread about what she knew that she had to do, but Hitake suddenly answered the door and snapped her out of it quickly.

"Welcome! So sorry that I took a moment to come to the door! I was making sure that everything was all set for my wonderful guests this evening. Please, come in!"

Hitake stepped aside and motioned for them to come through the doorway. Trunks was the first to enter, followed by his slightly reluctant family. Goten had to duck slightly to fit through the doorway, which Vegeta scoffed about. Clearly the fact that Goten was even taller than Goku annoyed the short saiyan prince. Marron had a silent laugh to herself watching a family with such complex history interact.

The grand foyer was decorated with the most expensive of sculptures and oil paintings. At the base of the hackneyed, spiral staircase, a medieval solider statue stood bravely holding a spear and a shield. As Hitake showed off his home and explained several artifacts around the area, he skimmed over the soldier. The group moved passed the brave figure, but Marron noticed something that the others had missed. The "man" inside of the armor, though made of gold, looked to be hairy all over. She stopped and stared for a moment to examine the figure. His face was in fact hairy with a wide and flat nose. His mouth was frowning angrily making him look inhuman with dastardly fangs. She looked up at his eyes and instantly realized what the thing inside of the armor actually was; an ape man was standing before her. The imagery startled her. She realized why he would have such a statue, but why would everyone else miss such a blatant explanation as to why they were there that night?

She glanced down the hallway and caught Hitake's eye. He didn't stutter from his speech about a particularly impressive oil painting, but he seemed to shoot an arrow into Marron's subconscious. Something thrust her forward and caused her to rejoin the group involuntarily. Her heart began to race with anger that he was able to control her from a distance, but she knew that she had to calm her anger. It was very easy to let go and explode at her target, but now was not the time. It was too soon to reveal her powers to her unsuspecting friends. She closed her eyes to hide their flashing color. The purple ring that formed when her power flared was not easy to conceal otherwise. She swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and began to rub her eyes profusely.

"You okay?" Goten asked.

She held her hands over her eyes for a moment until the urges passed.

"I'm fine. Just got something in my eye." Marron answered, dismissing his concern.

She opened her eyes again, praying that the rings were gone. Goten smiled warmly and nodded. She sighed in relief.

Hitake showed them into the dining room next, telling them to sit wherever they pleased. He ran over to the chair at one end of the table and pulled it out. A red pillow sat up against the golden chair's detailed back.

" , please sit here. I've added a pillow for your comfort. I assume that little bundle of joy could be here any day now."

Bra placed a hand on her very pregnant stomach and smiled nervously. Goten took her waist and pulled her closer to him protectively.

"Please!" Hitake insisted with a large smile spread across his face.

Bra headed towards him and sat down awkwardly as he pushed the chair in behind her. Goten quickly joined her and pulled his chair close to the end of the table as Hitake hurried back over to the group. Marron felt slightly jealous as she looked at Trunks. He had already begun chatting away with Hitake and Bulma and forgotten to pull a chair out for her. Vegeta seemed to be the most uncomfortable, looking around for food on the table and looking up at the majestically painted ceiling with a constant frown. He crossed his arms and sat down at the table, urging the others to sit as well.

Throughout the night, Trunks was pushed further and further out of the conversation between Hitake and Bulma. The food was served shortly after they sat down, but Marron noticed that Bra wasn't really eating. She seemed to be picking through her food with a pained expression. She continuously whispered to Goten, who whispered back and looked around as he answered. Marron was starting to suspect that Hitake's secret plan was working.

"I'm going to…go to the bathroom." Marron said to Trunks quietly, though he seemed too enthralled with Bulma's description of a machine she'd made to care.

She got up and took the fabric napkin from her lap, placing it on the table. Her hands were starting to shake with nerves, but she tried to hide it as best she could and act natural.

This was it, she thought. This is what they were waiting for.

She headed out into the hallway and checked to make sure that no one followed her. She walked towards the ape statue again and continued her examination of the strange soldier, but then he appeared.

"Marron…how nice to see you again. Are you prepared for the plan tonight? It could get very intense with Vegeta here. He's quite powerful. I didn't plan for him to show up."

Marron looked up at the tall, slender man with spikey, brown hair. His thin face looked more excited than she'd ever seen it before. He walked down the spiral staircase with complete composure and stood directly in front of her.

"Mikio…Before I do this, I need to know that Yamcha and my mom still okay." Marron said gravely, lowering her head as his eyes burned into her.

"I'm excited for tonight. You should just relax. As long as you control yourself and do as we tell you, everything will work out just fine for mommy and daddy." Mikio said coolly.

"He's not my dad!" Marron exclaimed almost too loudly.

Mikio looked around and pushed Marron against the staircase railing. His powerful push banged her head on one of the rails, causing her eyes to flash purple in defense.

"Shh! If you blow our cover, the deal is off! Control, Marron. Control."

Mikio released her and turned towards the front door. He paced back and forth while Marron shook out her top. Angrily, Marron turned around and began to walk away from Mikio with an attitude. He grabbed her hand and pulled her back to him with a yank.

"I'm serious, Marron. If you screw this up…Kazuko's life is at stake, too. If she dies, I will make sure that you and your precious family die along with her no matter what happens. Got it?"

Marron looked into his fiery eyes with fear. He was hurting her arm, but she was too focused on his intense stare. For a moment, she saw what she feared the most. The purple rings around his pupils glowed brightly. She pulled back from him and fell to the floor. His body was surging with anger, but he was taking deep breaths and trying his best to reel it in. After a few moments, he closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. When he opened them and looked at her again, the rings were gone.

"See what you made me do? Now go and get back to work. It'll be happening at any moment. The medication that I put in her drink should get that little monster all worked up. It could start trying to rip its way out at any moment. You need to be ready."

Back at the dinner table, Bra was definitely showing signs of being in distress. Marron could see her telling Goten to back off and keep quiet as she returned to her seat, but the others were too busy to notice.

Finally, Goten couldn't sit quietly any longer. He rose from his seat and rushed behind Bra, pulling the chair out and scooping her up into his arms.

"I'm taking her to the hospital. I think the baby is coming!" His face was lit up and excited, but also worried from Bra's state of pain. It was clearly not progressing like normal labor.

Bulma shot up from her seat, knocking it backwards and grabbing at Vegeta to rise as well. Trunks stood up and looked around at everyone wondering what he should do. Bra groaned. An audible snap cracked across the room followed by a blood-curdling scream.

Marron's eyes traveled to Goten's arm. He was drenched in blood. Bra was bleeding profusely and Marron knew why. She could only watch in horror while Goten was too shocked to move.

"This isn't normal! Bulma! Call an ambulance!" Goten exclaimed.

Bra looked woozy and seemed to be losing consciousness fast as she gripped her stomach in pain. Her head wobbled against his arm and her skin was turning pale white. Marron was beginning to feel the weight of the deal that she made.

Just as she was about to break her silence and end her part in this horrific event, images of her mother and Yamcha flashed through her head. She knew that if she spoke now, they would suffer a horrific death and she would be next.

The baby wasn't going to be a normal baby. Hitake told her that it would be monstrous and terrifying. It would be a perfect weapon. She continued to justify its capture to herself. It would never look or act like a normal person. It was an experiment. It wasn't Bra's to keep. Marron's part in this was to get the whole family here and to retrieve the baby. Mikio said that the monster would only respond to a female after birth, but Marron was beginning to doubt her ability to do anything in this situation.

Vegeta, Bulma and Trunks rushed to Goten and tried to keep Bra awake and aware. Vegeta was more visibly shaken than anyone had ever seen him.

They turned to leave, but the large doorway slammed shut in front of them.

Hitake laughed an evil, menacing laugh.

"Hitake, open these doors! What the hell is this? My daughter could die! She's bleeding like crazy!" Bulma screeched at the pompous man sitting at the head of the long dinner table with a crazed look in his eyes.

Continuing his maniacal laugh, he began rise from his seat. Marron stayed seated near him. She was far too terrified to move. Vegeta turned to him and held up his fist.

"What is the meaning of this? What in the hell do you think that you're doing?" Vegeta growled.

"You want me to open the door, huh? Okay."

Hitake rose his hand and blasted the door open with what looked like a purple and white ki blast. Their eyes looked on in horror as Vegeta lunged forward and attacked him. Hitake was flung backwards, but caught himself and punched Vegeta hard in the face. He fell to the ground and Hitake placed a foot on the back of his head and pressed down hard, causing Vegeta to call out in pain.

"Mikio, now!" He yelled towards the open doorway. "Do it now!"

Goten had just enough time to turn and mouth the name "Mikio?" before a large blast burst into the dining room and blew them all backwards against the wall. Marron stood quickly and felt the panic setting in. It seemed as though everything was moving in slow motion, clearly leading towards complete disaster.

Goten lost his grip on Bra, who flew into the curio cabinet against the opposite wall. Shards of glass flew everywhere. Goten smacked his head against the wall not far from her and screamed.

Mikio entered the room triumphantly and strolled over to Bra. He picked her up, letting the shards of glass fall from her hair. Marron wanted to stop him, but Hitake placed a hand on her shoulder and held her in her seat.

Trunks shook his head from his position on the floor, a shard of glass cutting into his hand. Dazed, he turned his head towards her in horror.

"Marron! Help us! Do something!" He called out.

Marron turned her head slowly towards him. Her eyes were full of tears and she struggled to maintain composure.

"I…can't…" She mouthed silently.

Trunks' eyes widened as his mouth hung open in disbelief. He looked like he didn't understand her words, like she was speaking a foreign language. His eyes traveled to Bra, hanging lifeless in Mikio's arms. Mikio was smiling over her like she was a prized trophy.

"We did it, son. Let's get that thing out of her. It's ours now. With its DNA, we will be able to control this silly planet and all of those near to it. The saiyans won't have a chance against us!" Hitake yelled, kicking a reeling Vegeta away from him.

Trunks transformed into his super saiyan form and lunged forward at Mikio, but hesitated slightly when he saw the look in his eyes.

Mikio's eyes were glowing purple and his muscles grew to epic proportions instantly. He powered up and kicked Trunks with force, shooting him backwards. Hitake laughed again, his eyes also glowing purple, but his body seemed to remain the same instead of transforming muscularly. Trunks laid on the floor in a pool of blood with both legs splayed outwards, clearly broken. Bulma screeched in horror.

Marron couldn't take anymore. She had to do something and her anger was beginning to be too great to contain. She stood from her chair and released her own powers with a piercing scream. Her eyes glowed purple, her body gained muscles, and her expression was out of control angry. She darted forward and attempted to grab Bra from Mikio.

"What the hell are you doing?" He yelled.

"I'm getting this over with! There's no point to all of this. Give her to me!" Marron growled and snatched Bra from Mikio forcefully.

Trunks felt his heart break as he watched her in action. Her strength rivaling his own, she placed her hands over Bra's stomach and began to turn it. Bra looked as though she was shocked back to life with electricity and began to scream without end. Marron's glowing hands then hovered above her, twisting and turning occasionally as though she was guiding something out of her with invisible magnets. The sound was excruciating with screaming and gushing. Trunks felt himself getting queasy, but he just couldn't get up to help her. He could no longer feel his legs.

"Goten! Goten, wake up!" Trunks pleaded desperately, "Goten! Save my sister!"

Goten's unconscious face seemed to be waking up slowly from all of the screaming. Trunks started to crawl to him in desperation, now positive that he had several broken bones. He could see Vegeta in the corner of his eye against the far wall with a bloody face. Bulma's continuous screams were deafening.

He pulled himself up to Goten and slapped him hard. Goten woke, jolting to life and frantically looking around the room for an explanation.

"The hell…oh my, God!" Goten saw the horror unfolding before him. His mouth flew open and without hesitation, he pulled himself up from the floor and transformed into a super saiyan. He flew forward at Marron, who turned to him with fully purple, demon-looking eyes. She snarled at him while Mikio shot forward to defend her.

Goten and Mikio stood pushing against each other's arms, dead locked into an all-out war between each other's strength. Goten powered up and ascended to super saiyan 2, but it was still not enough.

"You were my friend! What are you doing? You will kill her!" Goten yelled in Mikio's face.

Mikio didn't answer. He was continuing to hold him off with ease, ready to kill at a moment's notice without any remorse. His eyes were now displaying the same demon-like quality that Marron had.

When hope seemed to dwindle, Trunks remembered that Tarble and Pan should still be reachable and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He dialed Pan's number and placed the phone to his face weakly.

"Hello?" Pan answered surprised to see his name calling.

"Pan! Pan, help us! Call Goku! He's gonna kill Bra!"

"What?" Pan asked in horror. Hitake approached Trunks and grabbed his phone, crushing it to dust.

"No one will interfere with this plan. Say your last prayers. You are going to die tonight!" Hitake bellowed proudly.

Behind him, Mikio and Goten continued fighting ferociously. Filling the room with purple and yellow fire, they battled for Bra and her baby. He had to save her at all costs, even if he would lose his own life.

Suddenly, a baby's cry rang out through the yells of battle. Time stopped. Everyone looked at Marron as she rose to her feet. Her eyes dulled, turning back to blue, and filled with uncontrollable tears. She slowly looked up at Mikio and Hitake and frowned angrily.

"This is a human baby! This is not a monster! You said that it wouldn't be human…you said that it wouldn't be normal…she is perfect…" Marron cried desperately, shielding the baby from harm.

Bra laid lifeless on the floor surrounded by blood. Goten punched Mikio hard in the face, knocking him back far enough for him to make a run for the baby.

Marron's eyes again entered slow motion. She saw Goten run for her, but Mikio grabbed him around the waist and didn't let him any closer to them. Goten thrashed violently and screamed, but his strength was no match for Mikio's strange form. Hitake grabbed the baby from Marron, punching her in the face and turned to Goten.

At that moment, Goten realized why it always seemed like he knew Hitake. He felt his anger explode.

"I killed you…I killed you! I killed you with my bare hands! You are the scientist from that cave! Get the hell away from my baby!" Goten yelled at Hitake.

"No, boy. I can never be killed. You just got lucky when I had a weak host." Hitake answered, shuffling Bra aside with his foot as he'd done with Vegeta. Marron held her face and continued to cry loudly.

"Stop your crying, girl. You've still got a purpose to serve unless you want your whole family to die!" Hitake snarled.

Hitake grabbed Marron's hair and blasted a hole through the magnificent ceiling above. Without a moment's notice, he took off into the sky. Goten continued to scream, completely overcome by so many emotions that he looked as though he wanted to die. Mikio sighed and slapped the back of his neck, knocking him out to silence him.

After a final glance around the room, he took off after his father and left them all there to die.


	40. Aftermath

Through the darkness, a bright light began to creep into his vision. His head was pounding and when he wrenched his eyes open just a bit, his eyesight was quite blurry. He blinked several times, thinking that his vision would become clear, but he could still only see a burning white space.

A cold chill rolled slowly down his back all the way from his neck to his toes as dread crept in on him, whispering to him…was this death? He couldn't afford think this way, but his subconscious mind was set on this explanation.

When he could finally open his eyes all the way, everything around him was covered in a fog that was impossible to see through. He could hear a voice calling his name, but it was so far away that he couldn't make out whose voice it was.

He got to his feet and began to feel around in the fog, but it was no use. He could only continue to wander in circles. Feeling panic setting in, he took a deep breath and tried to regain composure. He closed his eyes and listened with his body, feeling for any energy that might be nearby. A very low signal began to reveal itself onto his mental radar.

He kept his eyes closed and felt his way to the energy. He opened his eyes and looked to his left, or what he thought was his left after spinning around a few times, at a black mass was laying on the floor. He couldn't quite make out what the darkness was, but it looked to be in the shape of a human. He strained his eyes, trying to see through the clouds of thick fog, but it he was still too far to see anything.

Through a small clearing, a beam of white light coming from above began to shine down onto the black mass in front of him. His heart stopped and his body clenched with disbelief. This couldn't possibly be happening, he thought. Wake up, he exclaimed inside of his head. He reached out for the woman laying before him and swam through the clouds to her. He stumbled forward and fell to his knees beside her.

Bra was motionless, empty, and dressed in white.

"Honey?" Goten asked, afraid to touch her.

She wasn't pregnant, but she wasn't bloodied either. She looked perfectly elegant with rosy cheeks and smooth, silky hair curled like she was going to a fancy party. He felt the air inside of his lungs choking him, afraid of what he'd feel if he tried to find her pulse. The fear was carving into his soul and completely destroying his hope for this dream world to end. What if she was dead? Was he dead, too? Why wasn't she waking up if they were both dead? The question burned inside his mind.

The beam of light began to dim as the blindingly white world around him began to go dark. The light that illuminated her beautiful face faded into nothing. He reached forward, ready to take her hand, but she disappeared into blackness.

"Bra!" Goten exclaimed, but his lonely voice only echoed through nothingness and went unanswered.

He sat back onto the floor and scattered the wispy clouds around him into dust. "This is a dream…I'm dreaming…" Goten began to recite to himself. He pulled his knees to his chin and began to enter panic mode. He was terrified and alone with no recollection of how he got there.

Sitting in complete darkness with no hope left, he began to hear a cry. It was an infant's cry, but very distant. The voice from before sounded out as well, calling to him, pleading with him and growing more and more upset. He wanted to call out to the voice and respond, but the air in his lungs was too heavy to speak. He felt despair like he'd never felt before.

The baby continued to cry. He listened, unaware of the origin of the cry, until something inside of his mind snapped back into place.

"Lace?" Goten whispered.

The baby's crying worsened. He felt his chest grow tighter.

"Lace! Where are you?" He said quietly.

"Goten!" A voice screamed.

He fell backwards in fear. The scream was loud and horrifying, like it was right next to him. Without mistake, it was Bra's voice.

"Bra! Where are you? My God…answer me!" Goten pleaded and begged as he hopped to his feet and spun around. He was still blinded by the darkness.

"Goten! Help me!" Bra screamed again in agony, accompanied by the deafening cry of their child.

"Don't you hurt them! I'll kill you! Give them to me!" Goten yelled in a random direction. He felt his blood boiling and his anger rising to levels he'd only felt once before.

In a split second, he transformed into super saiyan 2 form, glowing and illuminating the area around him. He ran forward towards the voice.

"Bra! Answer me! Where are you?" He snarled angrily, ready to kill on sight whoever was harming his family.

"Goten!" He heard her cry again, but this time, it was right in front of him.

He stopped and hesitated.

"Bra?"

He took one more small step forward, ready for anything.

"I'm here…Goten…"

His saiyan glow lit her face first, but soon revealed her bloodied body and pale skin. She held in her arms their newborn baby, but it was wrapped completely and it had stopped crying.

Goten's mouth fell open. He fell to his knees and looked on in horror as Bra rocked their silent baby.

"It's okay, Goten…she doesn't feel any pain anymore." Bra said quietly smiling at the wrapped up infant.

Goten began to scream. His power exploded around him while burning tears flowed down his cheeks. He lost his mind, pulling at his hair and feeling like he was drowning. It was endless and it was suffocating, too much for him to bear. Just as he was about to end everything himself, he felt hands on his shoulders shaking him forcefully.

"Goten! Goten, wake up!" Bra's voice was worried and urgent.

Goten gasped for air and shot forward with a jolt. Bra backed away, but continued to stare into his eyes intently.

He realized instantly that he'd gone super saiyan in his sleep. He hadn't even realized that this was possible. He looked down at his hands and watched them glow for a moment to make sure that this was the real world. Relaxing into his normal form, he also noticed that he was lying in a hospital bed surrounded by beeping and very worried doctors.

"It's okay…you've been out for two weeks…we were so worried. I was so worried." Bra said breathlessly, correcting herself.

"Two weeks?" He asked in shock.

He looked towards the window and watched as rain pounded the glass.

"Yes." She followed his eye line to the window, "It's been storming ever since...The weather has been really, really bad. It's actually been really scary..."

He paused and moved his eyes down to her stomach. It was completely flat again, he thought. A smile widened, but Bra despaired and held up her hand. She realized then that his memory was not completely intact.

"Do you remember what happened?" She shooed the doctors out and closed the door behind them. "Do you remember…Hitake's?"

Goten thought for a moment. He remembered being at the fancy dinner. He even remembered Bra going into labor. Everything afterwards seemed like a dark blur. He strained his mind for details, but only came up with a blank slate.

"I can't remember how I got like this, but I remember you going into labor." He began to glow with excitement, "Where's my girl? Where's Lace?"

Bra looked down at her feet and held her breath. He filled with the same dread that he felt in his dream. He watched her closely as she leaned against the wall opposite him and sniffled painfully.

"They…took her. They ripped her out of me and took her."

Goten couldn't speak or breathe. His eyes widened and his mouth hung open. His throat seemed to close up, making breathing difficult. Thoughts began to flood through his mind and questions piled up before they could be organized. He searched the corners of his memory for some indication of this horrible realization. Suddenly, it all came back to him in one rush of images. Hitake, Mikio…Marron…they were different. They were monsters. They took Bra from him and Marron ripped their baby from Bra's womb with some kind of energy from her hands. His mind flashed to the moment that Hitake took a regretful Marron by the hair and forced her to leave with them.

"I thought….I thought that you were dead…" Goten said solemnly, dropping his head. He felt like he could throw up at any minute from the confusion and the pain.

Bra approached him slowly with tears rolling down her cheeks slowly. She sat on the corner of the bed and rubbed her arms as though she was cold. She looked up at the ceiling and closed her sad eyes.

He could tell that she'd spent many days crying. The skin around her eyes was pink and puffy with mascara stains very lightly giving away her emotional toil even more. She brought her hands up to her forehead and combed her hair with her long, slender fingers before she spoke.

"I…regenerated?"

"Regenerated? Like…like Piccolo?" Goten frowned.

"Yes. And no. It wasn't like anything that we'd ever seen before. Mom's doctors couldn't believe their eyes. I healed on my own within a few hours."

Goten tried to sit up but he instantly groaned in pain. He peered under his thin hospital blanket and realized that his entire midsection was bandaged up heavily with gauze and wrapping. He felt his side pulsating slightly and figured that this must be the wound. As he considered the information that she'd given him, he combed his fingers through his thick, dark hair to find that his head was also bandaged and felt horribly black and blue. He sighed with frustration. So much had happened.

"Is everyone else okay?" Goten asked worriedly.

"Dad is fine. He refused medical care, but they did knock him out easily in the fight. Their strength was simply unimaginable even for him. Mom needed stiches, but she's also okay. Trunks was out for two days. Both of his legs were broken badly enough to need surgery, so he's still recovering next door. If Pan wouldn't have shown up with Tarble and Goku…we could all be dead right now. They saved us." Bra paused and considered her next words carefully.

"Dad has been on the hunt for their…hideout… constantly with Gohan, Goku and Piccolo, but…"

"Piccolo is back?" Goten interrupted, searching for any answer that could possibly make any sense.

"Yes. He came back a few days after it all happened and jumped right in. I hadn't seen him in years, but he hasn't aged a day. Still the same old Piccolo. He said he felt the strange ki explosions and wanted to check it out to make sure we were okay. He also couldn't explain my regeneration abilities, so that's why I said it wasn't like Piccolo. It's not like a Cell thing where I have some kind of mutated Namekian genes. This is something totally out of our realm of knowledge…" She looked down at her feet in shame, "What if I'm a monster like them…?"

Goten frowned and reached out his hand. She reluctantly took it slowly, but he quickly pulled her down to his chest. He held her tightly and kissed her head tenderly. She began to cry harder into his hospital gown. He was certainly angry that his baby was gone, but in his condition it was impossible to help. Knowing that his brother and father were on the hunt with Vegeta and Piccolo brought some comfort. Enough comfort to stay in bed with the woman that he loved for now.

"Hey…" Goten whispered softly.

Bra peered up at him between sniffles. Her soft face had never looked so desperately sad.

"You are not a monster. You are beautiful and I love you. We will get through this and we will bring our daughter home. Lace will come home."

Tears filled his eyes when Bra nodded. She reached up and kissed him for a long while.

"Thinking that you were dead…it was the worst feeling that I've ever experienced." Goten whispered, running his hands down her long hair.

He couldn't describe the happiness that he felt with her in his arms, but the thought that his daughter was not with them was like a gaping hole in his heart. He wanted to be strong and make it through until they had her home again, but the pain was swallowing him alive.

A knock to the door startled them both out of their worrisome thoughts.

"Come in." Goten answered.

The door slowly creaked open, revealing a pair of black eyes and thick rimmed glasses peering around the corner.

"Hey, bro…how are you feeling?" Gohan asked as he walked through the doorway with Goku and Pan.

Pan rushed to his bedside and grabbed his hand. She placed her forehead on his hand and started apologizing frantically.

"I'm so sorry…I should have been faster. I wish I'd gotten there sooner. I am so sorry!" Pan sobbed into Goten's hand with regret.

"It's not your fault, Pan. I'm grateful that you saved us."

She looked up at him and shook her head.

"I didn't save you. Tarble saved you."

Goten looked at the doorway behind Goku where a short, thin saiyan in a black hoodie and jeans stood shyly.

"Hey, Goten." Tarble said quietly.

"Hey…Thank you for saving us." Goten answered with a forced, weak smile.

Tarble leaned on the doorway and nodded proudly. He was so unlike the rest of them in his mannerisms, thought Goten. He seemed overly anxious but always very proper, afraid to say the wrong thing but confident at the same time. The Son family was certainly not one to be so foreign with each other. It was times like these that Tarble truly seemed related to Vegeta, aside from his lack of constant angry expressions.

"I think we've got a good lead this time. I'm not sure, but it seems like there's an area near the ocean that is completely off the grid. Bulma's running scans to make sure we can enter…it seems like wherever these guys go, radiation is present." Gohan began to go through the facts, analyzing data and spewing random knowledge. It all sounded like psychobabble to Goten. He only cared about rescuing Lace, and he'd walk through any amount of radiation to get her.

Hours later, Goten woke from yet another nightmare. He had been sweating, but did not transform. He sat up and reached for his glass of water next to the bed and drank it quickly. He finally felt strength returning to his body.

He looked around the room and saw that the large, analog clock read 2:30 AM. He wondered who was still awake. He decided to get up and walk around, but his legs were extremely lethargic. He'd forgotten just how long he'd been asleep.

With heavy eyes, he realized that Bra was sleeping on a cot next to his bed. He watched her for a while, taking in the sweet, peaceful face that he'd missed so much. She looked better now that Goten was awake and not in a coma. He wondered how much pain she'd endured while he was out. It hurt too much to think of such things.

He decided to take a peek at whatever was on his side. He slowly peeled back the bandaging and looked down. A perfect set of stitches lined up on his hip sent chills up his spine. He wondered if it was from the shattered ceiling, perhaps something sharp stabbed him when he was in shock.

"Goten?" Bra mumbled sleepily, "Hey…leave your bandages alone…"

He smiled and met her beautiful, blue eyes. The rain was still hurdling at the window with force, but in the soft light of a single lamp in their hospital room, it almost felt like home. He motioned for her to join him and she crawled up onto his bed. The feeling of her arms wrapping gently around his body made him ache inside for everything to be okay.

Suddenly, Goku nearly ripped the door off as he burst into the room. He face was full of that characteristic, Goku-hope.

"We found them, Goten! We found them!" He was extremely pleased with himself.

"Let's go! Ow!" Goten tried to hop right out of bed, but took his IV bag and cords with him. He also hadn't accounted for the fact that he hadn't stood up in weeks. He fell to the ground with a hard thud and ripped out the IV, spewing blood everywhere.

"I'm going!" He said, holding pressure on his bleeding arm.

It seemed as though the entire room had no place to argue with him. Though injured, he was still a father that lost his daughter. There was no keeping him away.

"That's it, then. We leave at dawn." Said a familiar voice from the doorway.

"Piccolo!" Goten smiled up at him, but twitched from the still bleeding rip in his arm.

"Get yourself together and we'll kick some ass like the old days." He nodded and left the room again.

"Well you heard him, son. Get yourself all patched up and we'll be ready to go at dawn. We'll get your baby back tomorrow!" Goku triumphantly declared. Gohan gave him a high five and they left the room.

"Okay…I suppose that I have to clean your arm up…you big goof." Bra said through tears.

She was smiling uncontrollably. Goten watched as she bandaged his arm. Her smile began to disturb him slightly…it was the perfect mix of unconditional love and deadly revenge.


	41. Something's Gotta Give

Pan stood outside of Trunks' hospital room peering through a small crack in the door. He was sleeping, but she wanted to tell him the good news.

"I can sense you out there, Pan…"

Pan jumped and immediately apologized. She popped into the doorway and closed the door behind her. He laughed at her and sat up a little bit. Even though she'd seen him since he got to the hospital, his legs were still horrible to look at. His legs were in giant casts from his surgery and held in place by skinny, metal poles. It looked very painful, but he was definitely using his morphine pump to its full potential.

His expression looked quite loopy today, she thought. She was bothered by seeing him so weak regardless of his situation. This man, the one she grew up loving, was a man more than a man strapped to a bed without the ability to walk. With a mournful sigh she pulled up a chair and flopped down, propping on foot up on the side of his bed and bending her knee.

"I like your chucks." Trunks said playfully.

Pan looked down at her converse shoes and smiled. They were her favorite, black converse with black shoe laces. Bra had been trying to bribe her for them for days now, though she could easily just go out and buy her own.

"I like your…accessories." Pan blushed and poked his leg gently.

"I'm a cripple. At least I'll walk again. They say that I was really lucky. I have you to thank for that."

Pan blushed again. She did in fact save Trunks. She is the one who carried him all the way to the hospital before anyone else could touch him. He became conscious before she left, but she had yet to visit him while he was awake before now.

"How come you haven't stopped by? It's not like I can seek you out to thank you with these excellent legs." Trunks laughed as he continued to playfully mock her, but she was starting to feel uncomfortable.

"What's wrong? Is everything okay?" Trunks noticed her uneasy expression.

"They found the hideout. We leave at dawn. We're going to get the baby back today." Pan answered confidently.

"Really? Thank God. I sure hope they kill those sons of bitches before I can get to them! Though…I'm sure Goten will take care of them all." He paused and thought for a moment about his next words.

"What are you going to do to Marron?"

Pan's eyes widened. She didn't expect for Trunks to directly ask her about Marron.

"What do you want us to do?" Pan nearly bit off her tongue. Why in the hell would she ask him that? She sulked down in her chair.

Trunks sighed loudly and stared at the ceiling. He was blushing and having trouble answering such a question. Pan wanted to apologize, but she was too embarrassed. This wasn't his fault, she thought. This was the fault of that evil, conniving liar that he let into his heart. This was-

"I knew that she was lying all along." Trunks whispered.

Pan nearly fell out of her chair. She stomped her once propped up foot on the ground and hopped to her feet.

"What do you mean, you knew? You knew that she was going to pull this?"

Trunks rolled his eyes and shook his head no.

"Then explain to me how you knew that she was plotting something! Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"It was this weird text she got when we were overseas. I thought it was about my money." He turned his head on the pillow and looked straight at Pan, causing her to blush violently as her stomach flipped with excitement. Those piercing, blue eyes could simply melt away any un-pleasantries from her day. She slowly sat back into her seat again, eagerly awaiting the rest of his explanation.

"The text said something about take it soon before he figures it out. I'd been watching my bank account for money movement, but it never happened, so I forgot about it. I wanted to believe that she wasn't playing me and actually loved me…"

Pan felt angry. Her face was hot and her heart was screaming at him. She loved him and had never told him a single lie. Why the hell was he interested in a backstabbing bitch like Marron instead of an honest, saiyan girl like her? Her frustration must have been apparent because Trunks held out a hand to her. She stared at it for a moment wondering what to do. Before she could decide, Trunks snatched her fist up from the bedding she was holding onto. He squeezed her hand open and held it tightly.

"Well how are things with Tarble? You guys seem really close." His hot gaze pierced into her like a knife.

"They're…they're good. I mean, they were…until this happened…"

Trunks looked confused and cocked his head to one side.

"How do you mean?"

"He barely speaks. It's almost like he lost his own child." Pan admitted

Trunks sighed. Something clicked in his head quickly while Pan continued trying to understand.

"Did you ever think that maybe it had to do with the fact that his wife was killed by these guys?"

"What? You think it's that?"

Pan's innocent eyes lit up. Trunks chuckled.

"You have so much to learn. You may look older, but you've still got a lot of growing up to do, kid."

Pan grimaced. The last thing she wanted to hear was how immature she was, especially from Trunks.

"While we're on the topic…and while no one else is around…I know that you did this to yourself for me. This age…it's crazy. But it's such a "you" thing to do. I am not brave enough to do what you did for anything let alone love. You're such a brave person. I have to ask, though…if you're so in love with me, like I think you are, then what are you doing with Tarble? He's lived a lifetime and now he's reliving it…are you sure you want that kind of burden and baggage? I'm telling you it's his wife dying that's making him act different, like you say."

Pan froze. Her eyes were wide and her heart fell.

What was she doing with Tarble?

She thought for a moment of how to answer. She did care about him and cared how he felt, but was she only with him because she felt sorry for him? Her brain tossed back and forth, but when she looked up into Trunks' eyes again, she couldn't resist. The ancient need for Trunks' approval and affections carved into her heart. Maybe if Tarble was thinking about his ex-wife, she could think about her ex-crush.

"I keep trying to pretend that he's you."

Trunks watched her cautiously. His face was blank at first, staring into space and considering a response. Pan began to feel extremely uncomfortable and nervous. She noticed that her palms were sweaty and rubbed them on her shirt.

The silence dragged on, pounding into her ears and driving her crazy.

"I guess I have to admit…you are one gorgeous woman." Trunks shrugged with a flirtatious smile.

Pan blushed violently, but it felt good. Tarble complimented her all the time, but he never had this effect on her. Trunks complimenting her looks was like a miracle out of thin air. She tried to think of something witty to say, but a glimmer of a familiar ki popped into her head. She couldn't tell who it was, but she could tell someone was outside.

"I think dad's outside…we might be leaving soon."

"Hey…come over here…I wanna tell you something, but it's a secret."

Pan realized that Trunks was probably very out of his mind. The pain killers he'd been given were the strongest in the hospital thanks to Bulma. She decided whatever he had to say might be worth her while regardless and leaned forward nervously.

Her face felt hot as she approached him. She quivered slightly, making it feel incredibly awkward.

"You really are…so pretty…"

Placing his hand gently over hers on his bed, he reached up and kissed her softly. It wasn't much, but she nearly lost her footing and fell. She felt an explosion of happiness erupt inside of her stomach like fireworks and her soul quaked with longing.

When he pulled away, he whispered softly "Please come back safely."

Pan nodded before turning around and practically floating out of the room. She had a dopey smile on her face and felt like her arms and legs were made of jelly. Everything was numb, but in a good way. She was so incredibly satisfied by such a simple gesture that it all made sense to her now. The thought of hurting Tarble with the truth wasn't even on her mind.

When she turned to walk down the hallway, her entire high disappeared. Tarble stood there in front of her, mouth hanging open and eyes wide. He looked pale. She couldn't move, but felt the smile that had been spread across her face fall into a frown.

"Tarble…" She whispered.

"I…I was coming to telling you that we're leaving…"

Pan stuttered, searching for words.

"Were you…listening?"

"I...heard enough…"

Pan didn't know how to answer. She stood silently, staring at him and feeling stupid. He was her first boyfriend and she couldn't help but feel a little attached, but Trunks showing interest in her made any fleeting feelings for Tarble go away in an instant. Perhaps she wasn't as mature as she wished that she was.

"I thought that what we had…I thought you realized that he will never love you…like I love you…"

Pan inhaled sharply. Tarble's hurt face turned away from her and started down the hallway.

"I'm so sorry, Tarble. I didn't mean to hurt you!"

He sighed and turned back to face her. The look on his face was apathetic. He looked wise, far beyond the years he displayed in his younger body.

"I accept your apology, however I will not forget the words that you spoke. You spoke the truth to him…I only wish that I understood why you could not speak the truth to me. You called me your best friend. We spent every day together…we almost…"

He turned and walked away quickly. Pan held her chest like she'd been shot. Was this feeling real or was it only because another opportunity presented itself? Did she love Tarble after all? She'd never felt so confused in her entire life. She pushed the emotions away and followed him downstairs at a stark distance.

When they arrived at the meeting place, Goten stood next to his father and brother talking with Piccolo near the front entrance of the hospital. He had a bandage wrapped around his head, but it appeared that he took off the wrapping from his side. Bra was talking with Vegeta and Bulma away from the group, looking nervous and fidgety. Piccolo turned to them and nodded, so Bulma kissed Vegeta and hugged her daughter good-bye. Wishing them good-luck, she waved to Goku and turned to make a call on her cell, most likely to Chichi and Videl who stayed at home. Videl was approaching seven months pregnant at this point, so Gohan didn't allow her to travel anywhere for fear she'd go into premature labor.

It was finally time, she thought. They took off at full speed in the sky, but hid their ki's as much as possible. Goten was up front and continuously grabbed his side in pain. Pan worried that his stitches might slow him down, but adrenaline would probably prevail when he saw his daughter. The wind whipping them as they tore through the cold, damp sky was probably not helping.

Bra flew beside him with her hair blowing everywhere. Pan wondered why she didn't put it up in a ponytail like she had herself, but marveled at Bra's beauty. She'd always been jealous of how gorgeous Bra was, but hand in hand with her uncle Goten she seemed to radiate beauty. Getting this baby back meant everything for the future of the entire family.

Vegeta and Goku flew behind the couple with Piccolo trailing slightly behind. Gohan was talking to Piccolo. Pan wondered if for them this is what it felt like when they were going to fight Cell or Frieza. The stories she'd grown up hearing sounded so much more exhilarating than this feeling that she had. Her stomach was in nervous knots and she could feel Tarble glancing at her with hurt every few minutes. Even with his pain fresh in her mind, she couldn't help but wish that Trunks was there to fight with them.

When her mind wandered on to the thought of Trunks, Marron popped up in her mind. She pictured him with her, loving her, kissing her…it was enough to make her ki rise above everyone else's. Gohan turned around and gave her a look, making her realize her anger. She had to calm down, she thought. It was probably wise to save her energy for the fight with the crazy people, not waste it thinking about her love-rival.

After about an hour, they came upon a heavily wooded, mountainous region. It was just past West City, where Goku's family lived, but far enough away to keep their village safe from harm.

When the ocean could be seen raging ahead, they knew they'd arrived. Goten and Bra descended quickly to the ground, followed by the rest of the crew. Pan noticed that they were not letting go of each other's hands. She smiled at the sight.

"Okay…let's do this, guys. Stay quiet. Stay alert. They probably already know that we're here." Goku said calmly.

"Don't do anything stupid. That goes for all of you." Vegeta added with a grumble.

Suddenly, a cry broke the quiet sounds of nature. It was a baby's cry, just like Goten had dreamed of. Bra lost her composure and jolted forward.

"Lace!" She called into the cave.

Pan watched as panic erupted. Goten and Bra disappeared as quickly as they'd arrived, running at full speed towards the cry. Guards ran towards the entrance and began attacking, but it seemed that they were normal-strength saiyans. Goku, Gohan, Piccolo and Vegeta seemed able to hold them off rather easily. She looked around and realized that she was scared stiff, cemented to the ground.

"Tarble!" She felt herself scream as a guard ran straight for her.

The guard hit her harder than she'd ever been hit. Her face felt numb for a moment, like she'd just plunged her head into a bucket of ice water. Then she felt the sting of the blow setting in. Her nose felt like it split in half.

She flew through the air and slammed into the dirt below a large tree. She stayed down, afraid to move.

"Stay the hell away from her!"

She heard Tarble fighting the man and protecting her. She began to cry. This was not supposed to happen. She was stronger than this! She tried to pry herself up from the ground and looked around. Everyone was super saiyan, fighting brutally. Vegeta and Goku had defeated their guards, but more seemed to be approaching. Piccolo saved Gohan the pain of a blind blow from behind, but was attacked and knocked to the ground shortly after. The air was filled with yells and shouts, making birds fly from the trees into the briefly clear sky. The rain would come again. They had to move inside the cave before they managed to escape with the baby.

A loud bang from inside the cave distracted the guards long enough for them to finally put them all down. Tarble stood over the guard that attacked Pan completely out of breath.

"I think…that was Goten." He said between gasps.

Goku and Gohan exchanged worried looks before flagging everyone inside. They ran towards the sound, guided only by the light of their super saiyan flames. Pan had yet to transform out of shame. She wiped the tears from her cheeks and pushed on, thinking only of her uncle and worrying that he was hurt.

They turned a sharp corner. Light flooded the area. Clearly, this was where the explosion occurred.

"Guys, power down…this doesn't look good. Conserve your strength." Goku said as they snuck around the corner and into the light.

He looked side to side and motioned silently for the others to enter. They snuck across the room quietly, kicking up dust as they walked. The air was thick and stuffy, causing a few of them to muffle small coughs that echoed through the large room. There was no sign of Goten or Bra, but there were more guards scattered about in pieces. Clearly Goten had gotten angry. Pan shuddered as they passed each piece of a guard. The blood and suffering was real this time, not just a story. Only in this case, they couldn't afford to lose anyone. The people here were too important. If any one of these people died, Pan would die, too, she thought.

On the opposite side of the wall, there was a small opening that looked like a doorway. They began to hear the baby crying again, but did not act. They'd learned their lesson from the last time. It sounded close, like they were only in the next room over, but there was no entrance. Vegeta walked up to the wall and placed and ear on it, listening intently.

"It's definitely coming from the other room…you don't need to do that." Piccolo said snidely to Vegeta.

"Shut up, Namekian. I can think for myself without your stupid super hearing!" He growled.

"Okay, let's keep level heads here…" Gohan said calmly.

"I think we're missing something. There must be a door or something that we aren't seeing." Goku said as he circled the strange, stone room looking for answers.

Tarble stayed quiet and stared at the spot where the light was shining in. He looked to be in deep thought. Pan wondered if he was thinking about her, but quickly laughed it off in her head. Why, at a time like this, was she thinking about him? The baby was clearly in distress and it was making her head feel like it would explode at any moment.

Pan sat down on the dirty floor and nursed her bloody nose. When she hit the ground, she felt that it was beginning to shake. The dirt from around the walls began to shake off and glisten in the light. They looked around, Piccolo listened hard, but nothing indicated what was causing the small Earthquake.

In an instant, the walls came crashing down around them. They jolted upwards, blasting their way through rubble and shouting things to each other. Pan flew up high and looked down to see Bra standing in front of Goten. He was sitting on the floor holding the crying baby, but his side looked like the stitches ripped and he was bleeding quite profusely from it. He was curled around the baby protectively, shielding her from the debris and dust flying everywhere.

It was Bra who was in charge now. She stood yelling angrily, powering up to unbelievable levels. She was glowing purple, with her hair flying all around her. She turned super saiyan, but it was different than Pan had seen before. Purple electricity coursed through her spikey, blonde hair and her eyes shined bright blue. She'd changed from before, no longer toting the purple eyes that these aliens seemed to have. She was a true super saiyan, apart from her incredible power and purple electricity. Goten was also super saiyan, but his power level was nothing compared to hers. He was looking up at the grey sky. They looked and saw Mikio and Hitake hovering and also glowing with purple electricity. Mikio was holding Marron up on his shoulder, but she appeared to be knocked out. She looked extremely tattered and beaten up.

"Give it up! What's done is done! Her cells have been sent to my facilities on many other planets already! You killing me will not stop our master plan to create a new elite race of warriors! She is only patient zero of our successful and fantastic plans!" Hitake bellowed and laughed maniacally, dodging and blasting away anything Bra shot at him.

Pan noticed that Mikio looked very upset. His face was red like he'd been crying and he, too, looked very beaten up. She wondered if Bra and Goten had gotten to Marron and him first, but the wounds seemed old. His left eye was black as though he'd been punched a few days ago, not a few minutes ago.

Bra stopped shooting ki blasts and let her arms fall to her sides. Pan and the others watched her, confused and scared, ready to attack at a moments' notice.

"You've crossed me for the last time, Hitake. Let them both go or I'll make it the slowest and most painful death you could ever imagine." Bra said loudly.

"You think that you have leverage over me? I'll kill them both myself! Mikio, too, was nothing more than an experimental child! He was the first and failed attempt at the masterpiece that is your child!"

They gasped and looked at Mikio, whose face told the entire story. He clearly had no idea that any of this was even possible. Tears streamed down his face as he shook with disbelief.

"Father…" Mikio whispered, still supporting an unconscious Marron.

"I killed your mother as soon as you were born! She was only the carrier of my fantastic new genome. When you were born, I gave it some time, thinking that your powers would emerge, but alas…you are completely worthless! I sent you off as soon as the opportunity presented itself, hoping one day that you could help me do just this. You've served your purpose in life, boy!" Hitake laughed maniacally.

"How…could you?" Goten said, looking up from his still crying infant. "How could you do this to your own child? To my child? What will she become?"

"She will be perfection. She will be exquisite. She will blow this tiny planet into pieces!" Hitake laughed again.

Bra had heard enough. She raised her arms and blasted Hitake without warning, enveloping him in a purple haze that seemed to be constricting his body. He screamed in pain between crazy laughs.

"This is the power! This is our future! Your child will lead us into a new era of pain and suffering beneath the feet of the royal blood!" Hitake began to disintegrate, but he held on and shot a blast back at Bra that landed on her arm. She screamed and her blast weakened, giving him the upper hand.

Pan looked around, but no one was moving. Everyone simply had their mouths hanging open as they watched in fear.

"Why isn't anyone doing anything?" Pan exclaimed.

"We can't…this power…she has to win this." Vegeta answered. He was clearly using every ounce of restraint possible.

Just as Pan was about to give in and shoot her own blasts, Goten stood up and stood beside Bra at her injured arm. He sent a massive Kamehameha up to join Bra's energy blast, making it an unstoppable force. It seemed to be more powerful than any blast he'd ever used, but Goku quickly realized why.

"It's…it's the baby. She's helping them…" Goku's mouth hung open. A smirk curled across Vegeta's proud face.

Baby Lace had stopped crying and seemed to be concentrating. Only a few days old, her tiny face was focused forward and staring at Hitake. She had an aura around her that was mixing with her parents' super saiyan powers. It was breathtaking as the small family destroyed the man before them.

When he was destroyed, they stopped and collapsed to the ground. Goten held up Lace and handed her to Bra, who hugged her and began to cry. They looked up at the others with smiles spread across their faces and motioned for them to join below.

Goku and Gohan shot down quickly, running towards them. Goku scooped them up and hugged Bra and Lace. He placed a hand on Lace's face.

"You're a little fighter aren't you? I'm so glad that you were here to save us!" He said to the tiny infant.

"Look at her eyes…" Gohan said with amazement.

Vegeta and Tarble landed nearby and slowly approached the group. Pan decided that she wanted to be close to her family and pushed by Tarble. She hung on Gohan's arm and looked on as baby Lace stared intently back at them.

"Her eyes…" Pan said quietly.

"They're part of her powers. It's nothing to be afraid of." A voice said from behind them.

Mikio was limping towards them dragging Marron along beside him. Piccolo stood in front of him to block his approach, but Goten spoke up.

"It wasn't his fault. He was being used just like Marron. Who did they threaten for you to participate?"

Mikio smiled appreciatively and sat Marron down on the ground.

"Kazuko. They were going to kill her if I didn't succeed and make it convincing. They were going to kill Marron's family, too…I'm the one who had to bribe her. I'm also the one who injected her with the serum…" He looked down at his feet in shame. "From what I understand, we're like hybrids after being injected. We have access to some powers, but Bra has more power since Lace grew inside of her. Lace will be…well, from the designs in his lab…she'll be incredible."

Bra looked down at her baby and smiled. Her bright blue eyes were decorated with a glowing, purple ring around her pupils. She blinked and yawned before falling asleep peacefully.

Together, they lifted into the air and began their journey back to West City. Pan hoped that now she could focus on her love life. Tarble was less than thrilled to be returning without his would-be girlfriend. Goten and Bra hoped that they could resume a normal, family lifestyle. However, everything was completely uncertain and so devastatingly complicated.


End file.
